Jolt Awake

The cracked white paint flakes away,

dust rises where I roll and sway.

A sudden bump, a startled breath,

a brief sharp shock against slow death.

The leaf flutters, caught mid-flight,

tossed by wheels into fading light.

Motion stutters, time collides,

sudden stops where calm divides.

A cracked reminder under tire,

rough asphalt feeding sudden fire.

That bump shakes more than just the road—

it wakes the heart from heavy load.