Shahnaz T.M. is an emerging horror and science-fiction writer/poet. She is a self-published author of a children’s book series titled “The Adventures of Plum”. Her poetry and stories have appeared in Haiku Journal and The Freak! magazine. She is a Dubai-born Indian, who lives in France with her husband who also illustrates her work. Her poetry often tackles darker themes, including her sense of fractured identity.
They've blocked all the fire escapes
After setting the world on fire with their algorithms
that pushes hate to the top of your feeds
designed to trap you as holograms in their meta worlds
You’re seeing your own face in the ads
A merry-go-round of desires
Your eyes are bedazzled by the piper’s tune
Too much information gets you high
Until knowledge reverts to nonsense
But the heroin drip keeps you scrolling
While the real world burns all around you
And you are sitting there unaware
drenched in gasoline
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