[Certain]

breathless: After a few stronger showings in recent weeks, this one felt like a return to your earlier verses. The take on the topic was way too obvious and direct, as taking the quote on face value and writing about the theme of the week pretty much never is a good idea. The content in general was weak, as you didn't really open up any new side to this conversation or expose us to the underbelly as much as tell the story straightforward. Having said that, the writing was mostly good. You still don't quite have the unique writer's voice to carry a verse on that alone, but the rhymes were strong, and you stayed on topic and wrote a logically constructed verse. If you could meld that with better content, you'd have a real shot in this league even without dramatically changing your style or voice. Where you've finished in this league makes some sense to where you are as a writer, doing pretty well and on the cusp of the playoffs but ultimately at the mercy of a more talented but less stable writer. You were one of the more consistent entrants, and for that, I praise you.

Buddha: On any given day, you are much better or worse than you give yourself credit for. But maybe that shifting view makes sense given your wild inconsistency. This verse probably is somewhat genuine, but it still felt a bit too cliche on both small and large scales. There wasn't any particularly interesting writing here, though your most of rhymes came naturally and allowed for a smooth flow. You could have had something if you started with the last segment and built from there and presented a stronger argument for the connection to the topic and used more direct and personal images. Most of this verse was sort of vague, a common symptom of writing from the heart quickly because you're familiar with the circumstances we know nothing about. I think you're a very talented writer. I also think you're an unfocused writer. The latter side dominated this week. The verse didn't have a real connection to the topic. It felt like something you would have written regardless of the topic, which is pretty much the cardinal sin of topical writing in my opinion.

Vote: breathless