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Journey on the Stairs

Sometimes, we have to descend to ascend

By Dharrsheena Raja SegarranPublished 4 days ago 1 min read
Top Story - February 2026
Photo by Serhat Beyazkaya on Unsplash

He went one step
D
     O
          W
               N

Shed away his ego

~~~⏬~~~

Second step
D
     O
          W
               N

Anger loosened its grip

~~~⏬~~~

Third step
D
     O
          W
               N

Bitterness drained from his veins

~~~⏬~~~

Fourth step
D
     O
          W
               N

Jealousy no longer followed him

~~~⏬~~~

Fifth step
D
     O
          W
               N

Greed fell from his hands

~~~⏬~~~

Sixth step
D
     O
          W
               N

Judgement stopped clouding his eyes

~~~⏬~~~

Seventh step
D
     O
          W
               N

Every grudge was cast aside

~~~⏬~~~

Eighth step
D
     O
          W
               N

Thirst for revenge quenched

~~~⏬~~~

Ninth step
D
     O
          W
               N

Hatred disappeared entirely

~~~⏬~~~

Tenth step
D
     O
          W
               N

He left his body behind

~~~⏬~~~

Free from the weight of Earth

Untouched by its noise

He returned to what he was

Before the world taught him otherwise
__________________________________________

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About the Creator

Dharrsheena Raja Segarran

🥇 Vocal Creator of the Year (2023) 🏆

❤️ Erythrophile ❤️
✨️ Glitteringly Savage ✨️
🖤 Elegantly Disturbed Mind 🖤

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  1. Compelling and original writing

    Creative use of language & vocab

  2. Heartfelt and relatable

    The story invoked strong personal emotions

  3. Easy to read and follow

    Well-structured & engaging content

  1. Eye opening

    Niche topic & fresh perspectives

  2. Excellent storytelling

    Original narrative & well developed characters

  3. Masterful proofreading

    Zero grammar & spelling mistakes

  4. On-point and relevant

    Writing reflected the title & theme

  5. Expert insights and opinions

    Arguments were carefully researched and presented

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Comments (61)

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  • Tiffany Gordonabout 2 hours ago

    Yay! Congrats on your Top Story Queen Shee Shee! 🥳

  • Andrea Corwin about 3 hours ago

    Wow, this is so thoughtful and very engaging - the ending really stands out because it is life in this physical body and experiences that create all the things that those steps let him release. Of course it is a TOP STORY!! 🎉🎉🎉🎉

  • Mark Gagnonabout 4 hours ago

    Just swinging back to say congrats on your TS

  • Lana V Lynxabout 7 hours ago

    I don’t know how I missed this, but this is a great poem, dear! Made me think of the Lucifer TV series.

  • Raymond G. Taylorabout 7 hours ago

    And now congratulations on your top story.

  • Susan Fourtané about 7 hours ago

    And back to say congratulations on your Top Story! :D Brilliant. <3

  • Cali Loriaabout 7 hours ago

    I love seeing the outpouring of love on this post. Well earned. Congratulations on top story!!!

  • OMG, This Is Fortunate ❤️❤️❤️Beautifully written 😍 Congratulations 🎊 for Your Brilliant Top Story🎊

  • Tim Carmichaelabout 8 hours ago

    I love how the visual layout mimics the actual descent, making the reader feel the burden lifting with every step. The line "Before the world taught him otherwise" is incredibly profound, it’s a beautiful reminder that our truest selves are often found by unlearning the heavy emotions we’ve picked up along the way.

  • This absolutely awesome, Dharrsheena. I kinda gasped and said, "Ooo!", my eyes wide open when I saw the form, the way you made stair steps out of the same word. The FORM is startling and brilliant. Evocative. (I wish I knew how you managed to indent your letters like you did! I can't ever figure that out! 😂) This is such a different medium than books. I think that the formatting you use here has perhaps even more impact because the reader is already scrolling down. This has a sinking sensation to it. But then the words/message are/is extraordinary too. They are just sharp, inspiration, not a word too much or too few-- perfect. There is an inevitability to this. The message is heavy but you know you're hitting rock bottom soon and you're shedding that weight as you go. It's like a tension between rising and falling. Pulling me up and down at the same time. The title, the subtitle, that gorgeous cover photo! All simply magnificent. So, um... That begs the question... Why don't you write more often? 😉 ⚡💙Bill⚡

  • I like the formatting :)

  • ♥️I am loving the stylistic choice here, Dharr. Every step we take down your poem is a step he took "d o w n" toward emotional maturity. ♥️Even the lengthening of the word "down" carries a pause so that each achievement hits in a descending order and at a descending pace. I like the rhythm held throughout while the growth of this man remains profound. ♥️The assonance in "revenge quenched" being placed so close together really made it feel like the quenching of a literal thirst.

  • Shirley Belk2 days ago

    So very much agree with Susan! Extreme love to you on this one!!!

  • Susan Payton2 days ago

    Absolutely brilliant and amazing Dhar. You always come through as a home run. I also loved the formatting. Brilliantly done as always. I am subscribing to you.

  • Chloe Gilholy2 days ago

    This was amazing. Love the formatting.

  • Hope Martin2 days ago

    This gave me chills. I love it so much. I love how you formatted it, too.

  • The context, the meaning, the format. Absolutely loved it ❤️

  • Wow….Im not even going to ask how you formatted that but both the format and the writing is absolutely brilliant my friend. Love it 😊

  • Teresa Renton3 days ago

    Love the creativity here Dharr! A brilliant hypnosis into release 😍

  • Calvin London3 days ago

    Very nice and the format adds something unique to your people. Nice work.

  • R.S. Sillanpaa3 days ago

    This is absolutely fantastic! You captured the need to release all that weight so well and I loved the structure, too. ❤️

  • Cadma3 days ago

    Oh I need this to have top story 3 times for this month; this is incredible work

  • Aarsh Malik3 days ago

    Well done, this felt calming in a deep way. Each step made me slow down and reflect on my own baggage. It reminded me that letting go is its own kind of progress.

  • Sandor Szabo3 days ago

    I LOVE the way you structured this! Each “down” made me feel like walking down a spiral staircase, I loved it!!! I’m glad “Mr Brain” gave you the inspiration :)

  • Rebecca Patton3 days ago

    This was so good! You clearly showed how we are all born innocent and how our death (literally or figuratively) can clear our minds.

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