The Road Drops Here

This Challenge is part of the Vocal+ Summer Writing Series. Learn more

The Prompt

This prompt is about the moment when the road turns, steepens, narrows, clears, and suddenly, everything feels a little different. The kind of shift you don’t come back from, even if it looks subtle from the outside.

Maybe your speaker is driving. Maybe they’re standing still. Maybe they’ve just seen something, or realized something, and now there’s only forward. Your poem should live in the instant just before movement turns into momentum. Not the ending. Not the arrival. The drop.

The landscape can be literal, emotional, imagined, internal. But let the tone hold tension and clarity, like a warning sign before the curve. Say only what you need to say. Let the view do some of the work.

Write like you’re just about to let go of the brake.

In order for your submission to qualify, it must be:

• A poem (any style or structure is welcome).
• Between 50 and 500 words.
• Submitted to the Poets community. Your story will be disqualified if it is submitted to any other community.
• Submitted before September 19, 2025 at 11:59 PM EST.
• Your work must be original and unpublished.

The Prizes

• 5 Winners: $200 each
• 15 Runners-up: $15 each
• 10 Honorable Mentions: $5 each

For your story to be eligible, it must be between 50 and 500 words and adhere to our Community Guidelines.

Stories published on Vocal and entered into the Challenge up until September 19, 2025 at 11:59 PM EST will be entered for consideration. Official Rules for the Challenge can be found here.

The The Road Drops Here Challenge is exclusive to Vocal+ members. To learn more and upgrade to Vocal+, visit https://everydaydealxhub.live/vocal-plus%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3C/a%3E.%3C/p%3E%3Cp class="css-1923z11-Text">To be eligible to win, you must be over the age of 13 and reside in a country where Stripe is available at the time of entry. A complete list of countries where Stripe is available can be found here—winners will need a Stripe account created and connected to receive prizes. Entrants located outside of these countries will not be eligible to win.