<p><span style="color: rgba(85, 85, 85, 1)">NIGHT HAG speaks of femininity through the eternal mouth of Lilith, the first woman.</span></p><p><br></p><h4><span style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 1)"><span></span>Subterfuge</span></h4><p>stained cloth gusset lined with cotton</p><p> traces of lace grace the front face</p><p> and flowers so many flowers purple</p><p> and pink concealed by the flow no-</p><p> the flood of an unexpected collapse of</p><p> uterine lining early or late its timing</p><p> had slipped off the calendar gone unnoticed</p><p> now the search for supplies begins</p><p> the furtive quest the bleeding heroine's</p><p> journey to escape the attentions of</p><p> every major and minor player in this</p><p> chapter of her story the dispenser</p><p> appears loaded but she has no spare change in</p><p> her pockets no will to ask for a loan</p><p> because lending grants permission</p><p> to ask questions gain answers and</p><p> access to classified intelligence so</p><p> plan b is to ascertain the degree of the</p><p> leak and the damage done from the blackish</p><p> burgundy endometrial tide that reeks of dead</p><p> fish washed up on a sultry June beach</p><p> fold and wad one-ply toilet paper into a</p><p> makeshift pad remove sweatshirt and tie</p><p> sleeves securely around waist ward</p><p> off the urge to slink back to trig unnoticed</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>they will see through attempts at stealth</p><p> coldly calculate that strutting in late</p><p> reeking of Marlboro Reds provides the</p><p> necessary smokescreen to remain undetected.</p>