Size / / /

The cat is in the box already,

locked;

that black-furred feline breathes

air and poison,

honey;

It is a test of course,

what else if not that. It is

a summoning of death

who lives in the cat's energy

then drains

as the poison drops

like honey from a spoon.

I do not dare look. The box

is under my bed,

hidden;

people might find it and wonder. Honey

after all,

is not just in that box;

it's in their hair,

flowing down like lingering light

(and in light, death lives also)

it's in their faces, their lips and cheeks,

smiles and dimples, trickling, trickling. . .

Hush, because

honey

is also in their voices,

sweeter than sweetened tea,

and calling my name without their knowing

and it flows beneath their skin

like death.

The cat is in the box already,

probably dead.

I'm going out now, need

to get more honey.

There is still so much more room

under my bed,

in the basement and

beneath the flowers in the garden. . .




Alexandra Seidel spent many a night stargazing when she was a child. These days, she writes stories and poems, something the stargazing probably helped with. Alexa’s writing has appeared in Strange Horizons, Uncanny Magazine, Fireside Magazine, and elsewhere. You can follow her on Twitter @Alexa_Seidel, like her Facebook page, and find out what she’s up to at alexandraseidel.com.
Current Issue
18 Mar 2024

Welcome New Fiction Editor! 
Strange Horizons
We are very happy to welcome Dante Luiz as a new fiction editor on the team! Dante is a Ignyte Award winning author, and has been with Strange Horizons working as an Art Director for the past several years. We’re stoked to bring him on to the fiction side and have him bring his wonderful insight and skill to the fiction team.
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Aviary 
the birds, / who carry with them / the many names of the dead
Feeder Fish 
Day in and day out, the rough waters of the Pacific slam themselves against the protrusion of sandstone the locals refer to as Morro Rock. White streaks of bird shit bleed down the rock, a testament to the rare birds of prey that nest in its pocked face overlooking the bay.
Monday: Twice Lived by Joma West 
Wednesday: Overlap: The Lives of a Former Time Jumper by N. Joseph Glass 
Issue 11 Mar 2024
Issue 4 Mar 2024
Issue 26 Feb 2024
Issue 19 Feb 2024
Issue 12 Feb 2024
Issue 5 Feb 2024
Issue 29 Jan 2024
Issue 15 Jan 2024
Issue 8 Jan 2024
Issue 1 Jan 2024
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