The Book of Spells says to light two brown candles on a Thursday,
that four lines and a long list of ingredients lead to victory.
Purple cloth and gold ribbon tie together the incantation—
repeat and carry it with you when you go.
Have faith in Jupiter, she says, but I have faith in nothing these days.
This battle isn't mine anymore; I have given it away,
handed over my authority, and asked for no updates.
I spent my last bargaining chip on a delay,
one last-ditch effort to help past my capacity,
one final unhealthy commitment to an unhelpable cause.
Some steps, I can never take, can never know when they are coming.
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FPS: The Last Flame Challenge Winners
Welcome to our first Winners Announcement of the year and to the final challenge in the Fall Poetry Series. The Last Flame invited writers to sit with endings, using fire as a central image to consider what remains when something burns out: ash, warmth, memory, silence, or the faint promise of what comes next. The strongest pieces treated endings as gradual rather than sudden, allowing them to flicker, dim, and linger.
By Vocal Curation Team7 days ago in Resources
Comments (4)
This was so real. I love your poem. ♥︎
realyy love your poems
This piece is so deep! It’s hard to give up control, but I admire your honesty. Thank you for sharing
Mystical, lonesome and sad to me. Sage and Amythst to bring in the 🕯️ again. I appreciate this.