You

are gone.
I know this
accept this
but sometimes
when I wake up
at 3 in the morning
I think it is noon
and that it was all
a dream
a nightmare
a Hollywood script
read line by line
the knife gun chainsaw
just a prop
the pool of blood
watered-down ketchup
the closing notes
a familiar top 10 hit.

Still awake at 4
I realize
there was no blood
no weapon
no music
no dream
just the nightmare truth
that you are gone.

~ J R Turek
June 27, 2020
Hour 3