Tuan Yuan Fan by Kathy Mak

on the evening of Lunar New Year’s eve,
a petal of dishes sit in the center.
guazi fish dipped in diced onions and soy sauce,
barbeque roast pork, bok choy in garlic,
and my mother’s signature dish —
Chinese shiitake mushrooms with half a dozen
ingredients: fat choy, wheat gluten, bean curd sheets,
zhouc san, ginger slices, and oyster sauce,
gently braised in a three hour boil.
but the fish, it’s too dry, too tough,
they must have defrosted it in the water too long
he banters, once twice, and again.
I never knew siu choy leaves had roots in them,
they’re too hard for my teeth to eat

it’s only been three days
since you came back

This poem was featured in Issue 08 of Canthius.

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Kathy Mak is an occasional writer and drawer. She is the author of chapbook Another Day (845 Press, 2020). She creates to capture fleeting moments of life and to reflect on her experiences. Visit her website.