My ovary, an egg desert. Fortnight Lily, petal armor. Uterus, container of blood memory. Left ovary, a mourning bud. Swallow painkillers, lean back in tub. One perfumed fibroid, rock melon. Remove seed pods from cervix. Bouquet effect. Floating frond, an enigma in the canal. Disorderly array of tissues, tendrils. Blooms in dark.
Maw Shein Win’s poetry collection, Invisible Gifts: Poems, was published by Manic D Press (2018). Win is the first poet laureate of El Cerrito, California. Her poetry collection, Storage Unit for the Spirit House (Omnidawn, 2020), was longlisted for the PEN America Open Book Award and a Northern California Book Award for Poetry, and shortlisted for the California Independent Booksellers Alliance’s Golden Poppy Award. She often collaborates with visual artists, musicians, and other writers. See mawsheinwin.com
**We do our best to preserve the integrity of each poem; however, due to programming limitations, some poems may read differently on a mobile phone and in certain browsers. For best viewing, use Chrome on a desktop/laptop.