The Public Thing

I didn't see it until lunch.

Blood on my thigh.

The cafeteria light caught it.

Made it red.

Made it visible.

Made it mine.

I looked around.

Did anyone see?

The stairs down to the bathroom

felt like miles.

I had to walk through the hallway.

I had to move like

nothing was happening

while my body

was doing the most uncasual thing.

The water in the bathroom sink

went pink.

Then clear.

The stain was still there.

I had to go back.

Back to class.

Back to my seat.

Back to pretending.

For the rest of the day,

I sat there

knowing.

Maybe they saw.

Maybe they didn't.

Either way,

I had to act

like nothing happened.

Like I wasn't

bleeding through

my jeans

in public.

Like it was normal.

Like I could do this.

Like my body wasn't

making a liar out of me.