"zodiac family portrait" by Kitty Cheung
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zodiac family portrait
一
keep quiet or else
she’ll rat you out
scurry and hide behind closet doors
under beds and pout
二
stubborn as an ox
he retreats into little lies
brings home take-out and video games
hums distracted lullabies
三
paper tiger pounce
she flares up in fury brash
erupts like a volcano
threats mere powder ash
四
down the rabbit hole
sucked into internet fare
would rather face a screen than family
I know you’re busy, I’ll get out of your hare
五
bearded dragon, bearded girl
she wears him on her arm, faux-serene
flies through the skies in straight glory
scales glint rainbow sheen
六
he snakes his way out of the house
then out of the nation
works odd jobs, to eat and travel
what happened to all my relations?
七
voice horse, screaming matches
arguments invade
hurtle through thin walls
caustic cascade
八
feeling sheepish shy
woolly-minded ego boost
overshoot overconfidence overdone
steadily reduced
九
playful monkey king
trips on his staff
loses his balance
loses his laugh
十
she comes home, cock-a-doodle-doo
lets in early morning air
I had a nose-bleed last night
you weren’t there
十一
hot diggity dog!
you think getting a pet would help?
too much responsibility on Fido
we tried, oh welp
十二
empathy
in short supply
reconcile?
when pigs fly
Kitty Cheung (she/她) is a Cantonese Canadian writer and artist living on unceded Katzie, Tsawwassen, Stó:lō, W̱SÁNEĆ, and Kwantlen land. With a fondness for stories overlapping cultural identity, queerness, and mental health, her writing zips between poetry and prose. Currently an undergraduate student at Simon Fraser University, she studies Interactive Arts and Technology with a minor in World Literature. Her writing has been published in The Peak SFU, The Lyre, Ricepaper Magazine, and Best Canadian Poetry. Kitty finds solace in zebra pens and drag shows. Her work can be found here: @kitscatastrophe.
