Carol Ann Duffy, "Mrs Tiresias"
“
Then he started his period. one week in bed. two doctors in. three painkillers four times a day.And later a letter to the powers-that-be demanding full-paid menstrual leave twelve weeks a year. I see him now, his selfish pale face peering at the moon through the bathroom window. The curse, he said, the curse
— Carol Ann Duffy on Menstruation
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "Then he started his period. one week in bed. two doctors in. three painkillers four times a day.And later a letter to the powers-that-be demanding full-paid menstrual leave twelve weeks a year. I see him now, his selfish pale face peering at the moon through the bathroom window. The curse, he said, the curse" in the context of "Carol Ann Duffy, "Mrs Tiresias"" to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Menstruation" (Quotes)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
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About Carol Ann Duffy
Carol Ann Duffy, CBE (born 23 December 1955) is a Scottish poet, playwright, freelance writer and current Poet Laureate, the first woman to hold that title.
About Carol Ann Duffy
Carol Ann Duffy, CBE (born 23 December 1955) is a Scottish poet, playwright, freelance writer and current Poet Laureate, the first woman to hold that title.
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