The Road Drops Here

The Road Drops Here

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Just as the world tilts forward

As slumber breaks, I struggle, awkward;

Reaching for my chiming phone, bewildered.

‘We have to let her go,’ whispered the text, coming in the wee hours.

It’s Catherine’s name on my phone, Catherine’s smiling face on my screen.

The text is from Ken.

I want to scream:

What? Is this a joke?

Am I asleep, or am I woke?

Is this true?

Is this you?

No, no, no! is what I plead,

Verification is what I need

Before my heart begins to bleed.

Yes it’s true.

How can it be? You! –

So young, so vibrant, so lovely, so true.

The world tilts, and off drops you.

[Vocal Challenge – The Road Drops Here - Write a poem that begins just as the world tilts forward. September 17, 2025.]