Below the Peach Tree
A mewling cry blooms, disturbs the amniotic night
ripples in the gloaming sea wax, wane, and surge
pulled by the blue moon in sky
It is that time of night when mischief is afoot
when old magic stirs
and reason runs amok
Hush!
A child is born, swaddled in fur and kindness
a peasant mother without coin for salt
tosses chalk into a circle
Be still!
Grandmama has come, and with her our great ancestors
gather, generations of long-gone shades recalled to stay the watch
warding off daemons that lurk this witching hour
No branch, seed, nor root will you taint, they chant
for when the living light a candle,
no ghosts shall blow it out
Below the Peach Tree
Visual by Natalie Mark
A child is born, swaddled in fur and kindness
XJ Ng
is a model, writer, and student from Malaysia who is currently completing a master’s degree in social work at the University of Toronto. His work is informed by cultural reminiscence, queerness, science fiction and too much cat hair. You can find XJ on instagram at @felinoirae.
Natalie Mark
is an artist from Winnipeg with big love for colourful films and eating dim sum in the early afternoon.
