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. Clifton highlights the physical and mental struggles brought on by a period, showing men that, though they may not have realized it before, women and people who menstruate suffer in silence, strong and resilient in their day-to-day lives. Clifton shows readers that the purge of period blood can also be cleansing, an essential part to some of natural, female power.

Empathy and education surrounding menstruation creates a larger thematic conversation about gender equity. Clifton’s core argument lies in the notion that young men, who historically hold and will continue to hold more power and influence than women, need to be raised with an awareness of intersectional experiences, and lead with empathy in order to close the gap between men and women that exists in society today. This fairness of treatment (equity) can then lead to gender equality. It’s also important to note that equity can and should extend to breaking down the gender binary of “men and women.” This equity would therefore include people who don’t align with any specific gender and those who are a different gender from the one assigned at birth.