Issue
#19
/ Period
March
2017
Dear Readers and Moon Luvers, Here it is—the rag mag you’ve all been waiting for! We selected Period as the theme for this month for multiple reasons. 1. March is Women’s History Month 2. The current state of women’s health (among a long list of other things) is on everyone’s minds (or should be!). 3. It seems as good a time as any to promote body positivity. We do, however, want to take this time to remind our readers that not every woman has a period or uterus or vagina and that not everyone who has a period is a woman. Being a woman is more than just periods, hopefully that goes without saying. Every living thing goes through cycles. The earth and moon have cycles. And for thousands of years, humans have been trying to make sense of these cycles by drawing comparisons. A menstrual cycle and Earth’s moon cycle are roughly the same number of days. Some American Indian cultures call a woman’s menstruation her moon-time. Many people view it as a powerful and sacred period of time. But Period means so much more than menstruation. A period denotes the end of something or one point in time. We have come upon a new period in 2017. And we feel powerful. We will stand together. Let this be our moon-time. For future themes, submission deadlines, and anything else, be sure to check in with us online. (See last page.) Like our previous issues, the numbered pages are original submitted content. Other pages are altered by yours truly and unique to each edition of the issue. Thank you for taking a chance and picking up our zine. Hold on to it, or pass it on to the most cyclical zinester you know, as The Moon Zine is one of a kind. Can I borrow a tampon?, The Moon
meet the staff
Julie Davis - You'll fall in love and you'll be screamin “demon.� Josh Saboorizadeh - Body odor and clean finger nails. Hair everywhere. Allison Sissom - Lunar Period 27 d 7 h 43 min 11.5 s Lauren Kellett - 13 / menstrual cup Wes Harbison - found my egg shaker!
staff picks: period piece
Julie - Peaky Blinders bc of the hotties Josh - Shanghai Noon Allison - Stranger Things (Kids on Bikes!) Lauren - Sound of Music Wes - The Witch
[Set to the tune and styling of the Two and A Half Men theme song]
"Blood blood blood blood, bloodly blood blood blood!" ooo
"Blood blood blood blood, bloodly blood blood blood!"
"Blood blood blood blood, bloodly blood, oo hoo hoo, hoo hoo, oo.
"Blood blood blood blood, bloodly blood blood blood!"
"Blood blood blood blood, bloodly blood blood blood!" "Blood..." by: Gnarlie Vageen 1
Before the Patriarchy, We were All Free Bleeders by Jessica Caponigro In the beginning, the magic inherent inside women was acknowledged and accepted as fact. Men lived in awe of the power of women, esoteric and strong. Some could reproduce and bleed for days yet not grow weak and wither away. The tide changed. In the grab for power, men told women they were fragile. That menstrual blood killed crops and bees. That the magic inside all women was dangerous. They were right. Menstruating women are particularly sensitive and are capable of manifesting unusual powers. Like the moon. All powerful women, according to the patriarchy, are dammed and unclean. They lie because they are fearful, of our strength and of our blood. And they are right to be afraid.
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5
I Built this Body on Waiting by Meeni Levi
I built this body on waiting And on a hint Of anxiety. Waiting to be old enough To pursue my dreams, Scared to grow up And grow them out. Waiting for class To be finally dismissed, Pushed over the edge By the jarring roar of a bell Supposed to welcome my prayers. Waiting for the cramps to stop, Dreading the reveal of blood All over my clothes Like being caught red-handed In the act of existing.
Life Period by Jav MelĂŠndez *************
I built this body on waiting And the fear of it Which might explain why I fill Every second of my life Like life itself depends on it, Why I make my brain run Out of the grasp of my flesh : I am too scared of seeing it As nightmare and contradiction. So I spend my days washing clothes Using my skin as soap And I pretend the blood Isn't an hourglass And I'm not counting grains of sand.
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9
No One's Home by Alisa Maa Atma *************************
Blood Moon by Amanda Rhoads ***************
10
We Saw A Tampon by Teresa Lynn
Feminine by Sarah Marchant
We were two little girls (Me at six and you eight) Not wanting to be in heat. The buttons we tried Gave a troubling omen: There was nothing on tv. We stuck our fingers In the couch for change, To feel able. We pulled out a small package We opened it up And I waited for you to tell me what it was. You said, "what is this?" And I waited for you to tell me. But you said, "maybe it's dad's." The object was long, two tubes (one smaller and ready To push itself into the other) With star shaped slits at the tip And a string Dangling on the other side. I asked, "is he sick?" How did we know It was for the adult body? We slid the small tube Into the larger tube which then released A clean stick of cotton. You didn't know I didn't know So our unease became terror. You laughed out of confusion. I tensed.
I become more aware of my hands. The black polish on my nails. Tapping at a keyboard. Fishing a teabag from my cup like tugging a phantom tampon string.
13
Start speaking in the clipped-short sentences of a banker. Gasps of grammar. Fluttering my gestures like a jigsaw of data. All the loud colors and still-wet pages hang like holograms while I'm down here plucking hairs in the bathroom and learning how to drink whiskey, tongue curled around a ghost cherry, red as blush and just as subtle.
COOped by LA Felleman
Like the pigeon,
behind the chicken wire, around the platform, aCrOSS the roof,
from the window, of the Cubicle,
with gray walls, enclosing gray Cabinets.
At a gray desk, in a gray chair, on a gray carpet.
Commiserating. One imprisoned soul to another. Until the other
struts through the hole in the chicken wire,
Flaunting its freedom, pecking to and fro,
meant to keep it out. wherever it will,
despite human ingenuity. A gray body
below oddly iridescent head, shiny with sunlight.
Resenting. One embittered Soul toward another's good fortune.
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we are one massive tribal village that transcends natural law by Amanda Rhoads ***************
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First Blood by Serena Frazee *********************
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CALENDAR fun thing another fun thing oh here’s one more
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by Julie Davis ***********
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image credits • •
By Ruby Cup - www.ruby-cup.com, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia. org/w/index.php?curid=18799050 CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=58253
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Gender Neutral Pussy by Kelci D. Crawford *******************************
We Are Made of Oceans: a letter from Amphitrite Clara Tang our months arrive by scarlet alerts storm tides on the inside
this dark red ocean crashing against the cliffs in us and we’re told to live whilst feeling seasick.
but all this tells of the capacity to cradle life and reminds us we bleed.
our own human rainstorm becomes the thorns that attach to our figure of a human vessel. we are the ones you choose to paint with soft pastels and varnish. love, open your eyes because we have news
the vessels of drama and emotion linked with roses and vanilla are the ones made of untouchable watercolour. we are red, dark,
the brick choosing to crumble rather than summit ourselves
as your trophy on canvas glowing in a room of white.
our blood flows like water,
the oceans around you that craft this rock. shall i spell it out for you? whilst you walk amongst the soil and sky,
there are my people are all around you bleeding.
yet you will never be able to tell until you ask your coward of a question: “is it because you’re on your period?”
to that i shall answer yes. yes it is.
we are made of oceans that bleed. 30
like high tide by Nougatto **********
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SPECIAL MUSIC ISSUE ! C ALL FOR SUBMISSION S! The theme for our June issue is Music and we’re accepting both the usual stuff (written and visual subs) but also audio! The deadline for the Music issue is April 15th. For more info, stop by themoonzine.tumblr.com.
Contact The Moon Zine: themoonzine@gmail.com themoonzine.tumblr.com issuu.com/themoonzine
instagram.com/themoonzine twitter.com/themoonzine facebook.com/themoonzine
Credits & Notes cover image: [Margaret Prosser's Clasped Hands in Lap], Alfred Stieglitz, 1933, via The Met back cover quote: from The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath Thanks eternally to: Everyone who has submitted content and/or helped us collage The Moon Zine
special thanks to: Maddie, Caity, Kayla, Longcat, Jacque, and Don for additional printing assistance, The St. Louis Public Library for free printing services, & South City Art Supply for collage space
looking for Back issues? Print your own here: https://goo.gl/jXflxZ
SPECIAL MUSIC ISSU E ! CALL FOR SUBMISSIO N S! The theme for our June issue is Music and we’re accepting both the usual stuff (written and visual subs) but also audio! The deadline for the Music issue is April 15th. For more info, stop by themoonzine.tumblr.com.
Contact The Moon Zine: themoonzine@gmail.com themoonzine.tumblr.com issuu.com/themoonzine
instagram.com/themoonzine twitter.com/themoonzine facebook.com/themoonzine
Credits & Notes cover image: [Margaret Prosser's Clasped Hands in Lap], Alfred Stieglitz, 1933, via The Met back cover quote: from The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath Thanks eternally to: Everyone who has submitted content and/or helped us collage The Moon Zine
special thanks to: Maddie, Caity, Kayla, Longcat, Jacque, and Don for additional printing assistance, The St. Louis Public Library for free printing services, & South City Art Supply for collage space
looking for Back issues? Print your own here: https://goo.gl/jXflxZ
made in saint louis, missouri, usa
“I
wish
to
cry.
Yet,
I
laugh,
and
my
lipstick leaves a red stain like a bloody crescent moon on the top of the beer can.” - Sylvia Plath
fREE