wishes for sons

Clifton paints a vivid picture of the transition between girlhood and womanhood as marked by the menstrual cycle. The poet centers the lived experiences of girls coming to terms with their unpredictable periods and the myriad of symptoms that follow, exploring these codes of femininity by wishing the everyday experiences of womanhood onto boys. Clifton argues that there is an inherent inequality in the coming-of-age experiences of children, namely throughout puberty. Girlhood and womanhood, seen clearly in Clifton’s discussion of menstruation verses menopause, asks for empathy and education on the part of young men, showing them what it would be like to step into a menstruating body for the day.

Menstruation exposes the cyclical and constant cycle of pain women and people with cycles are a part of based on sex and gender, thus widening the scope of womanhood. Clifton explores the theme of menstruation to break the silence and stigma surrounding periods, showing that the menstruating body contains a world of pain regardless of the added judgement of men. This theme therefore adds nuance to the poem, opening up a broader conversation about the tireless rituals that come with period maintenance, purpose, gender identity, shame, self-love, sex, birth control, pregnancy, and most prominently, pain.