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any god—when you pray—will tell you—the last thing
they want to do is turn their back—then they turn.
you’re from a country where bombs have
revoked bodies into void, for years; your grandma died
this way. her limbs in the south, head,
north, hands, east—as if showing god
how to dismember a poem. It’s your turn now.
the bombs have come in the same temper—
you in your granny’s frame, near the spot she
escalated into dust. you call upon god,
a bomb dies in your face. your ghost becomes
a thumbprint for history—that you were here—
that god took off at the blast. unbelief is you
with a gun in heaven pointing, asking why, why?



Paul Chuks is a freelancer, poet, and storyteller. He is of Igbo descent and resides in Nigeria. His works have appeared or are forthcoming in Maudlinhouse, Hobartpulp, Isele Magazine & elsewhere. When he’s not reading or writing, he’s analyzing hip-hop verses or moving his body rhythmically to the songs raving on his roof.
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18 Nov 2024

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In this episode of the Strange Horizons Fiction podcast, Michael Ireland presents Little Lila by Susannah Rand, read by Claire McNerney. Subscribe to the Strange Horizons podcast: Spotify
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