Hammock Snapshots are short flash fiction pieces, accompanied by an original illustration that aim to capture a moment, a feeling or a fragment of something without the pressures of longform writing. The series began on Instagram and now also features on our site.

In the town center, a temple, an old church and a mosque stand with less than two miles between them, separated by cobbled lanes, all accessible from the large square. There, you often see a young boy with a folding table, selling trinkets of various kinds. He couldn’t be older than fifteen, but has the air of a seasoned salesman, imploring you to buy without coercion or pity. When the authorities arrive, he is alerted, he packs up his large bag and disappears, only to materialize nearby a few hours later. You observe him and sense that perhaps he has grasped the essence of God better than any of the tourists, devotees or holy men. He knows what we worship above all else.