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Gary Ford, Canada

Gopher Holes

Flat prairie land - endless, stubbled, punctuated by the small hills created by gophers. Heads bob at burrow entrances. Regular peeps advise neighbors that they aren't alone, while shrill whistles warn of danger.

In the distance, a Red Tail rides the thermals and silently glides overhead.

My companions and I, seven years old, dig our underground fort. This morning, to get an early start, we left our homes without telling a soul. We find our adventure in secrecy. Confident that no one knows about our hideout, we speak in fantasies as we cut deep in the earth, gouge out soil to create overhangs, drag logs over the opening to make a roof.

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