"Tiger Balm" and "porcelain percussion" by Kitty Cheung

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Illustration of two mirrored tigers and the ocean with two lines repeating "Family" in Mandarin characters above and below

illustration by allison eng

Tiger Balm

achy tummy

tiger balm

sore muscles

tiger balm

joint pain

tiger balm

need to poop

tiger balm

family trauma 

hm

porcelain percussion 

Ma despises 

when I use my chopsticks to drum 

tea cup, saucer, and bowl flipped upside down  

despises my dim sum dishware concerts

clink clang clack  

bad table manners

her mouth fills with pink vinegar 

soy sauce spilt on white tablecloth 

tea gone cold 

so I stop

I’ve lost my rhythm since 

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.