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Devils may come

wearing the face of God

promising us

a better life

free from the noise

free from the chaos

free from the crowds

circling above the modern world

They may lead us

towards silent mountains

where no one

knows our name

where the neighbour next door

has never heard our knock

where conversation

never happened

and awkwardness

hangs between

two closed doors

A devil disguised as God

may not always arrive with fire

sometimes

he arrives with comfort

he tells us

we are safe with him

that the world

cannot be trusted

that questions

are dangerous

that doubt

is a disease

that everyone outside

is against us

Slowly

he changes

the shape of our minds

until we believe

there is no one left

to trust

except him

He says

we are all equal

but the plates

are not equal

the portions

are not equal

the sacrifices

are not equal

and somehow

we are always the ones

asked to give more

God does not bargain

God does not stand

in the market

selling fear

as salvation

Even the stone deity

waits for nothing

Jesus does not pull

our palms together

the mosque

does not bend our backs

The heart moves

when it is ready

faith happens quietly

like water

finding its own direction

A false god

may leave breadcrumbs

only to lead us

deeper into his forest

I don’t know

what a true God is

The market

still feels empty