He had been with me, but he wasn't with me now, we had been walking along a street like this one and then the future swept over us and we were separated. He was in the distance now, across the ocean, on a beach, the wind ruffling his hair, I could hardly see his features. He was moving at an ever-increasing speed away from me, into the land of the dead, the dead past, irretrievable.
by Margaret Atwood
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The passage reflects a deep sense of loss and separation experienced by the speaker. Initially, there is a connection with someone who was important to them, but circumstances have changed, leading to an emotional and physical distance that feels insurmountable. The imagery of walking together on a street symbolizes shared moments, now overshadowed by the realization that the person has moved on, both literally and metaphorically.

The metaphor of the ocean and the land of the dead illustrates the inevitability of time and the passage into the past, where the speaker can no longer reach or connect with this individual. As the person traverses away, the speaker feels a profound helplessness, emphasizing the theme of loss and the distancing effect of time that makes retrieval of that connection impossible. The passage evokes feelings of nostalgia and the bittersweet nature of memories that linger despite the absence of the loved one.

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