Excerpt from 'The colour of blood' -- Yvette Christianse

[1954–current, born South Africa, migrated to Australia]
…
For days, because there is no rain,
the blood is there.
Where no-one looks I go and stare
and that’s in me too,
how it changes colour
and goes deeper into itself
like fear or shame,
retreating, retreating.
And there are bright snails
munching young leaves
in my stomach.

Source: Porter, D & Millett, J (eds) 1989, ‘On Struggle Street – An Anthology of New Poets’, Poetry Australia 122, South Head Press, Port Melbourne.