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The Distance by Ross Thompson

 In the dream you are tearing up the beach
 at full steam, scampering hell for leather 
 towards some magical spot that has caught

your eye. You have forgotten your parents
 and the leash you were in charge of holding. 
 The dog, emboldened by newfound freedom, 

tries to bolt but I grab hold of her nape
 before she can escape. You, however, 
 have become a sun-blurred whirr of motion,

rattling pell-mell, your outline turned golden
 and fuzzy, indistinct. I foolishly 
 think that you will soon turn and wave and shout,

“Daddy, keep up!” but your legs have become
 a pinwheel of bare skin, your arms churning,
 your determined fists punching through air, clouds 

and the stratosphere towards Rainbow Road, 
 Columbia, Endor and Solitude. 
 The universe is yours to grab and hold
with both hands. Never come back down to land.

---

Ross Thompson is a writer from Bangor, Northern Ireland. His debut poetry collection Threading The Light is published by Dedalus Press. His work has appeared on television, radio and in short films. Most recently, he wrote and curated A Silent War, a collaborative audio response to the COVID-19 pandemic. He is currently working on several projects including a second full-length book of poems. 

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