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come, nurture this sacred garden
plant one thousand seeds—and
pour a soul into this earthen mould
let my wholeness be a forest
washed with depth and darkness
from the shady boughs that grow
between my arms and hands

let this head take root
with tendrils,
that reach into the earth
tend this sacred garden
see fruiting bodies sprout from breasts
my fingers green and sap-blooded leaves
upon which insects feast

reach down through clay and rot
feel life push against your skin
amongst the fallen bodies of old dead things
in whose peaty graves i grow
tend this sacred garden
where gods have walked and
where the sun will rise again

lie down amongst me, skin to earth and plant
where bones once paled in the sun
they will crumble back to soil
when this is done
when this garden has finally grown
i will tangle you in vines and tend our garden
as you have done for me




Melody is a rainbow-haired thing and alleged postgraduate student from Adelaide, Australia. When they aren't sharing selfies on twitter (@magicspacegirl), they spend far too much time thinking about role-playing games and coffee. Melody has previously been published in Liminality.
Current Issue
29 May 2023

We are touched and encouraged to see an overwhelming response from writers from the Sino diaspora as well as BIPOC creators in various parts of the world. And such diverse and daring takes of wuxia and xianxia, from contemporary to the far reaches of space!
By: L Chan
The air was redolent with machine oil; rich and unctuous, and synthesised alcohol, sharper than a knife on the tongue.
“Leaping Crane don’t want me to tell you this,” Poppy continued, “but I’m the most dangerous thing in the West. We’ll get you to your brother safe before you know it.”
Many eons ago, when the first dawn broke over the newborn mortal world, the children of the Heavenly Realm assembled at the Golden Sky Palace.
Winter storm: lightning flashes old ghosts on my blade.
transplanted from your temple and missing the persimmons in bloom
immigrant daughters dodge sharp barbs thrown in ambush 十面埋伏 from all directions
Many trans and marginalised people in our world can do the exact same things that everyone else has done to overcome challenges and find happiness, only for others to come in and do what they want as Ren Woxing did, and probably, when asked why, they would simply say Xiang Wentian: to ask the heavens. And perhaps we the readers, who are told this story from Linghu Chong’s point of view, should do more to question the actions of people before blindly following along to cause harm.
Before the Occupation, righteousness might have meant taking overt stands against the distant invaders of their ancestral homelands through donating money, labour, or expertise to Chinese wartime efforts. Yet during the Occupation, such behaviour would get one killed or suspected of treason; one might find it better to remain discreet and fade into the background, or leave for safer shores. Could one uphold justice and righteousness quietly, subtly, and effectively within such a world of harshness and deprivation?
Issue 22 May 2023
Issue 15 May 2023
Issue 8 May 2023
Issue 1 May 2023
Issue 24 Apr 2023
Issue 17 Apr 2023
Issue 10 Apr 2023
Issue 3 Apr 2023
Issue 27 Mar 2023
Issue 20 Mar 2023
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