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When he learned he could draw the bullet
   back out of the body, and the ragged tunnel
of its passage would fuse closed, things
   changed. For instance, he found he would
never lack for work. At funerals, he now
   waits for someone to say, “I would give
anything to bring him back,” then he
   offers his services and strikes the deal.
Everybody thinks at first that time has
   somehow been reversed. But all his clients
remember getting shot. It’s not a thing
   easily forgot. The sentence of the body
is left punctuated by the mark. So now
   he makes a living by turning what seemed
to be a period of permanent darkness
   into the mere pause of a friendly comma,
allowing the syntax of one life to persist.



Michael Bazzett’s fourth collection of poems, The Echo Chamber, is forthcoming from Milkweed Editions in 2021. His verse translation of the Mayan creation epic The Popol Vuh (Milkweed, 2018) was longlisted for the National Translation Award and named one of 2018’s ten best books of poetry by The New York Times. You can find out more at www.michaelbazzett.com.
Current Issue
2 Feb 2026

Inject direct / the petroleum of salvation
Don’t know why they bob? In blue death boxes?
Wendy knew it wouldn’t be long now before her daughter was taken. She had put the idea from her mind as long as she could, but now Jane was days away from turning thirteen.
Strange Horizons stands with immigrants in the US facing these conditions.
By: Natasha King
Podcast read by: Jenna Hanchey
In this episode of the Strange Horizons Fiction podcast, Michael Ireland presents Natasha King's 'Aquarium for Lost Souls' read by Jenna Hanchey. Subscribe to the Strange Horizons podcast: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠
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