What comparison does Anderson draw between ink and menstrual blood in the poem entitled “blood moon” (279)?

In the first stanza, Anderson states that her final menstrual period had occurred the month prior to her mother’s death. The rest of the poem goes on to describe the way in which Anderson had developed a recurring dream about needing a tampon. In the dream, when she goes in the restroom and pulls down her pants, there is no blood. Instead, there is only “thick, dark ink,” (279) for that is now the only substance that flows from her womb. Anderson uses this comparison to highlight the way in which her creative energy is connected to her identity, including the fact that she is a woman.