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In the business of things that don’t earn you much
I am a dandelion and you are a symphony
We both live long interrupted lives of flight and bumblebee cacophony
The similarities are striking
And so is the Lightning

In the business of things that don’t earn you much
A smile is up for sale on the snail market
Things are slow and progressive
But we live day to day
One breath at a time
Holding onto the dirt and calling it home
We are nomads
No match for our treacherous selves that betray us out of place
We are extroverts
Open minded and confident when discussing our introversion

In the business of things that don’t earn you much
We are jackpots and potholders
Boiled streaks of golden seeds too good for investment and too wide for parliament seats
The only representation our tongues receive is that which falls on our cheeks

In this business we are not efficient
We are not affluent
You have nothing to spare
And much left to the uncertainty
Of hope



Ziad Gadou is a twenty-three-year-old Egyptian spoken word poet. He uses his poetry to discuss mental and social issues that tackle his life as a nomad who moves between different Arab countries. He draws inspiration from the poets he watches online and in the open mic events he frequents in Dubai, Muscat, and Cairo. His influence is deeply rooted in both Western and Eastern music and literature.
Current Issue
6 Jan 2025

I am a dog in the shape of a person and I live in a lighthouse and fetch.
It looks like a tooth. It smells like a frog.
Imagine carrying around a snack that was your skin. Imagine the energy needed to molt from that skin and how tasty those leftovers would be.
By: Samantha Murray
Podcast read by: Jenna Hanchey
In this episode of the Strange Horizons Fiction podcast, Michael Ireland presents Samantha Murray's 'Coming Through in Waves' read by Jenna Hanchey You can read the full text of the story, and more about Samantha, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Subscribe to the Strange Horizons podcast: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify
Wednesday: 2024 In Review: Part Two 
Friday: 2024 In Review: Part Three 
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Issue 2 Dec 2024
By: E.M. Linden
Podcast read by: Jenna Hanchey
Issue 25 Nov 2024
Issue 18 Nov 2024
By: Susannah Rand
Podcast read by: Claire McNerney
Issue 11 Nov 2024
Issue 4 Nov 2024
Issue 28 Oct 2024
Issue 21 Oct 2024
By: KT Bryski
Podcast read by: Devin Martin
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