[Certain]

Vulgar: This story reminded me of something that would have fit well on Liquid Swords. The whole theme of solitude and greed and how they are intertwined was nice. What did he do it all for? For that walk by himself on a foggy night? Your images were deliberately non-specific, which allowed for broader brushstrokes. There were a few too many clichés, though, like the evenings in Paris, which didn't really seem like something this character would care for. Also, monsoons don't crash, tsunamis do. The rhymes were strong but occasionally a little forced. I prefer your more abstract writing style, but this worked to create a character, and I liked the ending.

Split Eight: This was a very direct combination of your surroundings and the topic. I never fully dug into it. I think your style works better for telling a loose story than simply developing a character, and I'm not a big fan of straightforward character sketches anyway. Here, the poetic phrasing never felt fully comfortable and engaged. And I didn't think the ending completely landed, particularly because exposition has never been your strong point, so you end on this weird note that never felt completely related to the story. I also struggled to capture a solid cadence here, though the rhymes were fine. This verse was OK, but you've been much better than this recently.

Vote: Vulgar