Managed Decline
A Breakup Nonet
Our love did not vanish suddenly
That would have been more merciful
It dwindled gradually
One vindictive insult
One criticism
One betrayal
At a time
Fractions
Kill
About the Creator
D. J. Reddall
I write because my time is limited and my imagination is not.
Reader insights
Outstanding
Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!
Top insights
Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions
Compelling and original writing
Creative use of language & vocab
Easy to read and follow
Well-structured & engaging content
Excellent storytelling
Original narrative & well developed characters
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The Ritual of Winter Challenge Winners
Welcome to the Winners Announcement for The Ritual of Winter challenge. This prompt focused on winter rituals and the meaning that settles into them over time. The top pieces stay grounded in ordinary acts and repeated routines, letting winter shape the work through pace, attention, and restraint.
By Vocal Curation Team4 days ago in Resources
Comments (17)
Great nonet poem. Congratulations on the Top Story.
Great story
Damn. So powerfully conveyed. Congratulations on Top Story!
Congrats. Great nonet.
Just...masterfully written. One of my favourite entries for this challenge. Congrats on a thoroughly well deserved Top Story too!
Excellent, and miserable.
Great job 👏
Omggggg, I'm sooooo excited that they gave this delicious cake and your Nonet a Top Story!! Congratulations! 🎉💖🎊🎉💖🎊
Painful. Beautiful. Congrats on top story!
This is fabulous, and I'm not sure I've seen a cover pic that suits the words so perfectly, like that "fraction" of cake is bleeding love. This truly is great work. Congrats on the TS.
Right, fractions make it harder. Better to sever the knot quickly and heal faster. Bitterness gets really deadly if it festers too long. Lots of truth here.
The last two lines were icing on the cake!! This one is incredibly good, D.J.! Vocal is going to have their work cut out for them with this one
Oooo, fractions kill, I loved that. Also, please can we talk about your cover photo? Not sure if you know but my favouriteeee colour is red. And I loveeeeee cake. That cake looks soooo good and I wanna stuff my face with it!
Damn, so much truth :( And those last two lines were like a wicked punch. Great entry!
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Oh SMACK! SNAP. You have done it again!! Fabulous entry!! Fractions kill...you always come up with something unique.
Great poem!
Well done, great ending!