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Janet Dale
(it breaks)
I.
it’s been exactly 56 days since your body was
[next to]
[atop]
[against]
inside my body
II.
women know these things
we have been charting our bodies for as long as we have had bodies:
menstrual / follicular
ovulation / luteal
III.
the moon passes through double the number of phases as a woman’s body:
new / waxing crescent
first quarter / waxing gibbous
full / waning gibbous
last quarter / waning crescent
IV.
that Friday night (which I didn’t know at the time would be the last time), we were so close we
mimicked the sun & moon—together, above the horizon at the same time
New moon / 0% illumination
Luteal phase / Day 26
an unfertilized egg cell disintegrated, uterine lining was preparing to be shed
V.
this Friday night (did you know back then the last time would be the last time), the moon is
orbiting the earth counterclockwise, moving away from the sun
Waxing crescent / 10% illumination
Follicular phase / Day 6
an egg cell has been stimulated to grow
VI.
the moon & the body
recycle
continue
move on
but what does the heart do
it’s been exactly 56 days since your body was
[next to]
[atop]
[against]
inside my body
II.
women know these things
we have been charting our bodies for as long as we have had bodies:
menstrual / follicular
ovulation / luteal
III.
the moon passes through double the number of phases as a woman’s body:
new / waxing crescent
first quarter / waxing gibbous
full / waning gibbous
last quarter / waning crescent
IV.
that Friday night (which I didn’t know at the time would be the last time), we were so close we
mimicked the sun & moon—together, above the horizon at the same time
New moon / 0% illumination
Luteal phase / Day 26
an unfertilized egg cell disintegrated, uterine lining was preparing to be shed
V.
this Friday night (did you know back then the last time would be the last time), the moon is
orbiting the earth counterclockwise, moving away from the sun
Waxing crescent / 10% illumination
Follicular phase / Day 6
an egg cell has been stimulated to grow
VI.
the moon & the body
recycle
continue
move on
but what does the heart do
Biography
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Although she claims Memphis as home, Janet Dale lives in southeast Georgia where she teaches first year writing at Georgia Southern University. Her work has appeared in The Boiler, Hobart, Zone 3, Really System, Pine Hills Review, and others. You can find her @THEsisterjanet on Twitter.
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