Roberta Writes: d’Verse, Esther Chilton’s Writing Challenge, CFFC and Thursday Doors

d’Verse

Merril’s d’Verse challenge is But no, a butterfly and you can read the prompt and join in here: https://dversepoets.com/2026/08/04/poetics-but-no-a-butterfly/

Lost opportunity (freestyle)

The antelope stood

pondering the clouded yellow

of the early morning

Stray rays of sunshine

turned his coat

a lustrous copper

Making it shimmer

in the pale light

Stealthily

I reached for my camera

hoping to capture

the glory of the moment

Sadly

a velvet rose

peeping from behind a bush

caught the eye

of the hungry creature

It moved

and the opportunity

was lost

Esther Chilton’s Writing Challenge

Esther’s writing challenge prompt this week is test. You can join in here: https://estherchilton.co.uk/2026/08/05/writing-prompts-125/

Life Tests (haibun)

When I was a girl of nine, I contracted chicken pox. Within a week, my three younger sisters also went down with the virus. There were no vaccinations for chicken pox back then and Laura, aged one year old, and I were both very sick. I remember the day before the spots broke out in support of my claim of feeling unwell. It was a Saturday so we were all at home. I lay on a bean bag in the family room in a patch of winter sunshine feeling to ill to even read. My mother brought me a chicken mayonnaise sandwich at lunchtime but I could not eat it. Not even a bite. She was annoyed when she saw the untouched sandwich and said I was naughty to not eat it. She didn’t believe me when I said I was nauseous. On reflection, its strange that she didn’t believe me as I was never fussy about food and a chicken mayonnaise sandwich was a treat. I’ve never forgotten that she didn’t believe me. A day or two later, I came out in the tell tale rash and Mom knew I had chicken pox. One by one, the other children got sick and came out in rashes. The rash was itchy and I had to lie in a bath with Epsom Salts a few times a day to help sooth my skin which has always been ultra sensitive. We were all warned not to scratch the rash as that would leave scars. The only good thing I remember about this period is that I missed all the end of term tests for my grade. I was given an exemption from writing the tests due to contagious illness. I still have a few white scars along my hairline as testimony to my having had chickenpox. I never liked chicken mayonnaise sandwiches after this and still don’t ever eat them.

An interesting thing about this episode of childhood illness is that Mom never got chickenpox. We all assumed she’d had this virus as a child. A few years ago, my mother contracted chicken pox at the age of eighty four. This illness was a real test of her resilience and she had to be hospitalised for a few days. Her skin was yellow and she looked like a dried pear. It’s amazing that she cared for four sick children and never picked up the illness. Her resistance must have been good at the time.

white chickenpox scars

reminders of misery

days of nausea

CFFC

Dan’s CFFC challenge is to pair white with any other colour. Here are a few of my photographs featuring white and another colour. You can join in here: https://nofacilities.com/2026/08/03/paired-with-white-cffc/

Zebra foal with white stripes on its black body.
A snowy wood with white snow on a brown tree trunk.
Zebra foal in the long veld grass with white stripes on its black body.
Leopard in the long summer veld grass with black spots on its white neck and chest fur.
Mount Fuji with its white snow capped peak against a blue sky
A mountain village on a snowy winter's day with white snow on the wooden roofs.

Thursday Doors

Dan has featured the Japanese Room for his Thursday Doors post so I am staying with the Japan theme and sharing two doors/gates I saw in Japan in December 2024. You can join in here: https://nofacilities.com/2026/08/06/japanese-room/

Picture caption: The Akasaka Imperial Gardens front gate in Tokyo
Picture caption: Heavy wooden gates of a Bhuddist temple in Tokyo

Roberta Writes – d’Verse, care quadrille and light and truth of painting, Thursday Doors and The Flower Hour

d’Verse

I wrote for two d’Verse challenges this week but didn’t find time to post my poems until today.

The quadrille about care if for Sanaa’s prompt here: https://dversepoets.com/2026/07/27/q-252-quadrilling-without-a-care-in-the-world/

The second poem is for Melissa’s prompt here: https://dversepoets.com/2026/07/28/launch-light-and-truth-of-painting/. I did choose my own Henri Rousseau artwork though.

Care Worn

For many

marriage ends our carefree days

Financial obligations mount

as we work relentlessly

towards building a home

Children introduce

financial and emotional cares

We teach and guide

these precious young souls

Beflore they fly

aging parents bring

new responsibilities

The circle of duty

Pink Flamingo (shadorma)

giraffe bird

decked in shades of pink

flamboyant

featherhead

thoughtfully contemplating

fish filled waterway

Henri Rousseau painting featuring a bright pink flamingo with its long neck angled down to the ground. The bird is in a lovely garden filled with flowers.

My Mind

constantly in motion

ebbing and flowing

like the oceantides

I like to keep it

well fed with books

and other fodder

I’m afraid

if I don’t

it may fall back

on itself

and consume me

I wrote this poem today after sorting through my work week in my head. It was a good week. I got a lot done. My young colleague told me on Thursday afternoon just before I left for the week that she was exhausted. She also got a lot done because I give delivery dates for work that I then review. I think its a good thing the team has Friday’s to recover from my tyranny – haha! I am getting a 40 hour week’s worth of work done in 24 hours and that takes drive and determination.

Thursday Doors and The Flower Hour

Terri decided to suggest flowers in planters for The Flower Hour this week. Eeek! I don’t take many photographs of plants in planters. Then, I remembered the indoor conservatory in the delightful hotel TC and I stayed in in Paris. It is called Hotel Keppler and was very old fashioned and delightful. I also took photographs of some of the doors in the hotel so this is a double whammy for Dan’s Thursday Doors too.

You can join in Thursday Doors here: https://nofacilities.com/2026/07/30/austrian-room/

You can join in The Flower Hour here: http://secondwindleisure.com/2026/07/28/the-flower-hour-41-in-a-planter/

Hello, and welcome to Hotel Keppler.

TC in a red seater standing outside the Hotel Keppler with our luggage.
Picture caption: Bonjour TC. I like the red seater he’s wearing. I chose it!

Please take a seat in the guest lounge while we complete your check in. (Well, I got to sit, he had to stand at the desk and fill in forms.)

Picture caption: Guest lounge at the Hotel Keppler with a double glass door onto a small courtyard.
Picture caption: Guest lounge with double glass doors onto a small courtyard
tables and chairs on the other side of the guest lounge where you could order alcoholic drinks or, if you are me and brazen, Earl Grey tea in a teapot. The same double glass doors are in the background.
Picture caption: tables and chairs on the other side of the guest lounge where you could order alcoholic drinks or, if you are me and brazen, Earl Grey tea in a teapot. The same double glass doors are in the background.

Two slightly different photographs of the indoor conservatory in the dining room of the Hotel Keppler. It was very pretty with lots of greenery and lovely flowers. The food was very good too.

Roberta Writes – Tanka Tuesday, CFFC, The Flower Hour and Bird of the Week

Tanka Tuesday

This week, Yvette is the host of Tanka Tuesday. You can read her prompt and participate here: https://tankatuesday.com/2026/07/21/tankatuesday-poetry-challenge-no-74-oh-to-dream-7-21-26/

Cotton Candy Dreams

cotton candy dreams

puffy clouds of nothingness

idealistic wisps

of leftover childhood hopes

packaged in lulling sweetness

***

casually consumed

around the boardroom table

ingested in bites

by competitive colleagues

and never-ending deadlines

***

tsunami of life

dissolving spun sugar strands

shrinking floss right down

into a messy syrup

ready to be wiped away

CFFC, The Flower Hour & Bird of the Week

Dan’s CFFC challenge this week is purple. You can join in here: https://nofacilities.com/2026/07/20/the-crayola-box-of-8-purple-cffc/

My poem and pictures of the lilac-breasted roller are for Bird of the Week which you can join in here: https://anotherglobaleater.wordpress.com/2026/07/21/yellow-legged-gull-birds-of-the-week-invitation-clxxviii/

Close up of a lilac-breasted roller sitting on a slender branch of a tree in the Madikwe Game Reserve. Photograph by Robbie Cheadle.
Picture caption: Close up of a lilac-breasted roller sitting on a slender branch of a tree in the Madikwe Game Reserve. Photograph by Robbie Cheadle.

lilac-breasted roller (shadorma)

violet

flash against azure

swooping and

swan diving

uttering discordant cries

breeding season dance

This is my watercolour painting of a lilac-breasted roller.

Water colour painting of a lilac-breasted roller on a branch by Robbie Cheadle.

My purple iris and jacaranda tree in blossom are for Terri’s The Flower Hour here: http://secondwindleisure.com/2026/07/21/the-flower-hour-40-floral-abcs-focusing-on-ghi/

Purple iris against a background of green foliage.
Picture caption: Purple iris. Photograph by Robbie Chealdle

This is my acrylic painting of a jacaranda tree. I particularly like it because when placed in the sunshine, the purples change colour and shades of pink, blue and purple become evident.

Acrylic jacaranda tree painting in the sun and glowing with pink and pale purple highlights.
Acrylic jacaranda tree painting demonstrating lighter and darker shares of purple with pinkish undertones.
Acrylic jacaranda tree showing shares of white and very pale purple amid the darker purples.

Roberta Writes – WordCrafter Book Blog Tours presents A GEM for your Pre- or Type 2 Diabetes

The Giveaway

Got a question or an observation about the book, the GEM method, the author, or the tour? If not, just say, “Hello!” Comments at each stop earn entries in the Giveaway for a chance to win one of four signed print copies (If you live outside the U.S. a free digital copy will be substituted due to the high costs of international shipping.)

About A GEM for your Pre- or Type 2 Diabetes

Cover of A Gem for your Pre- or Type 2 Diabetes featuring the sun rising over the ocean
Picture caption: Cover of A Gem for your Pre- or Type 2 Diabetes featuring the sun rising over the ocean

Have you just been diagnosed with prediabetes or Type 2 diabetes and don’t know where to turn, or have you tried different weight-loss programs or medications that haven’t done enough?

GEM—Glucose Everyday Matters offers a practical, science-based approach to preventing and managing prediabetes and Type 2 diabetes by focusing on one powerful idea: reducing blood glucose spikes that can quietly damage health, energy, mood, and motivation.

Developed from decades of clinical research and real-world coaching, GEM helps readers understand why blood sugar rises—and how small, realistic choices can improve it. Rather than rigid diets or exhausting exercise plans, GEM teaches flexible strategies that fit everyday life: eating smarter, moving with purpose, understanding your body’s signals, and using glucose feedback as a tool for empowerment.

Inside this book, you will discover how to:
• Lower blood sugar naturally and sustainably
• Reduce cravings, fatigue, and energy crashes
• Lose weight without feeling deprived
• Improve motivation, confidence, and emotional well-being
• Use simple movement and meal strategies to reduce glucose spikes
• Personalize diabetes management to fit your lifestyle and goals
• Build lasting habits that support long-term health

Whether you are newly diagnosed, trying to avoid diabetes, struggling despite medications, or supporting a loved one, GEM provides a compassionate, evidence-based roadmap toward better health—one manageable step at a time.

This is not about being perfect.
It is about discovering what works for you and making meaningful changes.

To learn more about diet and blood glucose control, see A GEM for your Pre- and Type 2 Diabetes at your favorite retailer here: https://books2read.com/GEM

Becoming Aware of Choices

How Do Carbohydrates Really Affect Blood Glucose (BG)?

There are three classes of foods, called macronutrients: carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. These categories can be further divided into many subgroups. Of these three macronutrients, carbohydrates are the primary nutrient that significantly raises blood glucose (BG). Most foods contain a combination of all three macronutrients. See the examples in the table below.

Standard reference estimates are provided.

Food / BeverageCarbohydrates (g)Fiber (g)Protein (g)Fat (g)
6 oz grilled salmon003418
Red wine (5 oz)4000
Cabbage (1 cup, raw)5210
Peanut butter & jelly sandwich4041016
Potato chips (1 oz)151210
Oatmeal with raisins (1 cup oats + 2 tbsp raisins)49563
Whole milk (8 oz)12088
Raisin bran with whole milk (1 cup cereal + 1 cup milk)58713—

This table illustrates an important point: not all foods are created equal when it comes to macronutrient composition.

Even more importantly, not all carbohydrates are the same. As shown on nutrition labels, some foods contain fiber, a form of carbohydrate that is not digested and therefore does not raise blood glucose. To estimate the carbohydrates that actually affect BG, you can calculate net carbohydrates by subtracting grams of fiber from total carbohydrates.

Some ketogenic and “low net carb” products also include sugar alcohols, which are carbohydrates that may be only partially absorbed, digested more slowly, or excreted before fully impacting blood glucose. For this reason, some products subtract both fiber and sugar alcohols to estimate net carbohydrates.

Why does “net carbohydrate” matter?

Researchers at the Joslin Diabetes Center have estimated that, on average, one gram of carbohydrate raises blood glucose by about 4 mg/dL (though individual responses vary).

Using the examples above, a meal of grilled salmon, cabbage, and red wine might raise blood glucose by approximately 28 mg/dL, while a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with a bag of chips and a glass of milk might be expected to raise it by approximately 248 mg/dL.

Understanding these differences highlights the powerful role that food choices can play in blood glucose management.

To learn more about diet and blood glucose control, see A GEM for your Pre- and Type 2 Diabetes at your favorite retailer.

If you have had type 2 diabetes (T2D) for 24 months or less and would like information about our ongoing NIH GEM study, contact Jacqueline Rodriguez at ZMT8XG@uvahealth.org or 434-422-2653.

Food Choices

About Daniel J. Cox

Author image of Daniel J. Cox. He has a trimmed moustache and beard and wears glasses. He is wearing a white lab coat.
Picture caption: Author image of Daniel J. Cox

Daniel J. Cox (Dan) is a professor of Psychiatry, Internal Medicine and Ophthalmology at the University of Virginia Health Sciences Center and a member of the Center for Diabetes Technology. He is a longstanding investigator of behavioral diabetes- how behavior affects diabetes and how diabetes affects behavior. His research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health and industry (LifeScan, Abbott, DexCom, Lilly).

In 2010 he shifted his research focus from type 1 to type 2 diabetes (T2D) following his own diagnosis of T2D.  He was not optimistic about losing weight and was not thrilled about a lifetime of medication, so he developed an alternative and effective way of managing T2D. Glucose Everyday Matters focuses on preventing high blood glucose (BG) by choosing foods that do not raise BG much and by lowering high BG with physical activity. Since an initial diagnostic A1c of 10.3 (reflecting a three-month BG average), GEM has put his diabetes in remission-lowered his A1c below 6.5 with no medication. This transformation was achieved with significant critique, support, and help from his wife Debbie.

Tour Schedule

Mon. 7/20: Short Trailer & “How Does GEM Work?”  – Poetry by Mich: Hotel by Masticadores: Masticadores Philippines

Tues. 7/21: “Becoming Aware of Choices” & “Food Choices”– Roberta Writes

Wed. 7/22: “Dietician Monica Davis Interviews Daniel J. Cox” – Patty’s Worlds

Thurs. 7/23: “Bringing Down BG with Pysical Activity” & “Gem’s Research Findings” – Undawnted

Fri. 7/24: “Protecting and Extending Your Investment” – Writing to be Read

____________________________________________

Book your WordCrafter Book Blog Tour today!

Roberta Writes – d’Verse, Tanka Tuesday, W3, The Flower Hour and Thursday Doors

Two ladies in costumes from the cast. They saw my taking photographs and posed for the camera.

Today is Friday at last and I do have it off. My work hours are under severe threat and I’m going to have to increase them for three months as I have a big project on the go. There is no use in working the hours and not getting paid for them. Anyhow, onwards and upwards.

d’Verse, Tanka Tuesday and W3

I’ve used the d’Verse theme of night provided by the wonderful Dora for both my Tanka Tuesday and my W3 offerings this week.

You can join in Dora’s d’Verse challenge here: https://dversepoets.com/2026/07/14/my-god-its-full-of-stars/

Colleen’s Tanka Tuesday challenge is to write a bussokuseki. You can join in here: https://tankatuesday.com/2026/07/14/tankatuesday-poetry-challenge-no-73-bussokuseki-7-13-26/

This first poem is a bussokuseki about the African bush at night.

Night in the Bush

darkness in the bush

shines like polished black marble

healthy and glossy

splattered with bright, sparkling stars

by comparison, town dark

appears anemic and pale

Jaideep’s challenge is to write a three line poem merging a cultural tradition and modern technology. You can join in W3 here: https://skepticskaddish.com/2026/07/15/w3-prompt-220-weave-written-weekly/

I selected the tradition of using the Southern Cross constellation as a directional guide combined with working on a computer.

My Artificial Life

Dark night of my computer screen

loads itself into start mode.

Logon criteria flash,

artificial Southern Cross.

Guiding my entrance into

another working day.

The Flower Hour

Last week I mentioned that I’d attended a partner conference in my new job. These photographs are of the gorgeous pincushion protea flower arrangements that graced the lunch tables.

You can join in Terri’s The Flower Hour here: https://secondwindleisure.com/2026/07/14/the-flower-hour-39-something-about-orange-flowers/

  • Flower arrangement featuring three pincushion proteas in red, orange, and yellow.
    Flower arrangement featuring three pincushion proteas in red, orange, and yellow.
  • Close up of a single pincushion protea. The red tipped orange petals are narrow and curve inwards above its yellow centre hence its name - pincushion protea.
    Close up of a single pincushion protea. The red tipped orange petals are narrow and curve inwards above its yellow centre hence its name – pincushion protea.
  • A slightly more distanced shot of the three pincushion proteas flower arrangement.
    A slightly more distanced shot of the three pincushion proteas flower arrangement.

Thursday Doors

On Sunday past, my family attended the Rocky Horror Picture Show at Monte Casinos Pieter Torien theatre. It’s been more years than I’m going to tell you since TC and I last saw this show and I’d forgotten how graphic it is. I was a bit worried about Michael’s friend, Jenna, but she took it in her stride and enjoyed it.

You can join in Dan’s challenge here: https://nofacilities.com/2026/07/16/korean-heritage-room/

These are some beautiful doors from outside the theatre.

  • Doors painted with an Italian street scene during summer from a distance.
    Doors painted with an Italian street scene during summer from a distance.
  • Close up of doors painted with an Italian summer street scene featuring lots of greenery.
    Close up of doors painted with an Italian summer street scene featuring lots of greenery.

These photographs are of the stage:

  • The closed curtains on the stage lit up with blue and pink.
    The closed curtains on the stage lit up with blue and pink.
  • Two ladies in costumes from the cast. They saw my taking photographs and posed for the camera.
    Two ladies in costumes from the cast. They saw my taking photographs and posed for the camera.
  • One of the set doors on the stage in the form of a balcony to the side.
    One of the set doors on the stage in the form of a balcony to the side.

Roberta Writes – Tanka Tuesday, W3, Bird of the Week & Thursday Doors

It’s been a crazy week! Is there any other kind of week, I wonder. I attended New Partner Induction on Monday and Tuesday and a Partner Conference from Wednesday to Friday. So many new ideas and new people. My coping mechanism is to draw and paint and write poems so I have three poems to share with you today. I have also started a new art project – my biggest to date and perhaps my most ambitious. Michael thinks its ambitious but I just think its just bigger. All my art projects are very ambitious at the time of initiation. I push myself further with each new painting.

Tanka Tuesday

Colleen’s Tanka Tuesday challege this week is to write a tanka Puente poem with the theme of light vs dark.

Colleen has also announced the submission dates to the new Sunflower Tanka anthology 2027. I would love it if you participated and submitted your syllabic poems. You can find out more by reading Colleen’s post here: https://tankatuesday.com/2026/07/07/tankatuesday-poetry-challenge-no-72-tanka-puente-7-7-26/

Something New, something older

room of new partners

most young – bright eyed and bushy tailed

full of excitement

ready to take on the world

determined to make their mark

AI won’t replace humans, but humans who use AI will replace those who don’t—Sam Altman, CEO, OpenAI

sprinkling of old hands

pockmarks on golden surface

engaged yet cautious

veterans of corporate wars

survivors of constant flux

More excitement with Sunflower Tanka! Colleen and I are running a new series to promote the anthologies. You can read the first post here: https://sunflowertankaanthology.com/2026/07/10/introduction-to-contributor-chris-hall-her-review-of-sunflower-tanka-an-anthology-of-tanka-tanka-prose-experimental-tanka/

W3

Jodi’s prompt is “For this prompt, write a poem in which every line is a lie — except one.“

No, I didn’t write about AI – hehe! You can decide if what is a lie, if anything. Lies in this poem are in the eyes of the beholder.

Some Days

Some days the sun does not rise

Golden horses do not pull the fiery ball

across the blue washed sky

Cotton tailed clouds do not gambol and play

Flowers do not bloom

do not expose fragrant centres

to buzzing bees and butterflies

the day does not progress

all remains in darkness

Other days

the sun leaps into the sky

washing the world

in golden light

Bird of the Week

You can join in Bird of the Week here: https://anotherglobaleater.wordpress.com/bird-of-the-week-invitation/ and read the latest post here: https://anotherglobaleater.wordpress.com/2026/07/07/common-gull-birds-of-the-week-clxxvi/

Racing or The World’s Dumbest Bird

Kori bustards are Africa's largest bird that can fly. They have grey and white feathers on their longish necks, small heads with a black feather 'cap' on top, brown body feathers and long slim legs

Two kori bustards

racing down the road

are they trying to escape

our slow paced vehicle

(perhaps its TC’s purple jersey

I hate it too)

Or

is the male chasing the female

male kori bustards

have a bad reputation

for playing the field

attempting to breed

with as many females as possible

but taking no responsibility

for the resultant off spring

(Hey! that sounds familiar …)

One goes left

the other right

they appear the same size

more or less

but males are up to 40% larger

my perception must be wrong

(what about yours?)

Picture caption: I see you? he thinks

Mr Right looks confused

(there’s a surprise!)

glancing over his shoulder

as I hang out of my window

(you’re not supposed to do this!

what if I fell out

got eaten by a lion

or worse yet

kidnapped by a baboon)

snap! snap! snap!

As we slowly pass

Mr Right warms up to the idea

of posing for the camera

gives me his best side

(can you see his smile?)

Picture caption: kori bustard posing for the camera

Thursday Doors

My blogging friend, Brian, featured a photograph of the gargoyles of Notre Dame pre the fire. You can read his post here: https://equinoxio21.wordpress.com/2026/07/07/random-travels-umpteen/. I am sharing a few pictures I took of Notre Dame and its gargoyles so Brian can rest assured they are thriving. My shots aren’t as good as his!

The doors are for Dan’s Thursday Doors challenge which you can join in here: https://nofacilities.com/2026/07/09/old-sturbridge-village-6-26/

First Notre Dame and its doors:

  • Notre Dame from the front with its ornate front door and two towers
    Notre Dame from the front with its ornate front door and two towers
  • The ornately carved entrance and doors of Notre Dame (front doors)
    The ornately carved entrance and doors of Notre Dame (front doors)
  • Another door into Notre Dame. This entrance was closed so the shot didn't have people in it.
    Another door into Notre Dame. This entrance was closed so the shot didn’t have people in it.

These are the gargoyles. My friend, Chris, also likes gargoyles. You can find Chris’ blog here: https://lunas-online.com/2026/07/10/a-spaceship/

  • A row of gargoyles on the roof of Notre Dame. The front one has horns.
    A row of gargoyles on the roof of Notre Dame. The front one has horns.
  • The silhouette of a gargoyle on the roof of Notre Dame. He has wings but no horns.
    The silhouette of a gargoyle on the roof of Notre Dame. He has wings but no horns.
  • A long row of gargoyles along the side of Notre Dame. There is scaffolding in the background.
    A long row of gargoyles along the side of Notre Dame. There is scaffolding in the background.

Roberta Writes – Reblog: Famous Books and Authors – The World According to Garp by John Irving

I found this book to be completely fascinating and absorbing. My thanks to Barbara from https://bvitelli2002.wordpress.com/2026/07/06/book-review-fox-by-joyce-carol-oates/ for pointing me in the direction of this book.

Famous Books and Authors – Best-selling author and Academy Award-winning screenwriter John Irving and a review

Roberta Writes – Tanka Tuesday, CFFC, and The Flower Hour

I’m late this week. I had planned to post this last night but I had a three-hour art class in the morning and then I had to take Mom back to the optometrist for more tests and to chose new frames for her two new pairs of glasses. My mother loves shopping and she can not be hurried, and shouldn’t be because she enjoys it so much, so she tried on just about every frame in the shop. We chose two really lovely frames and she is very happy. I was exhausted when we got home at 4pm as I learned a new technique at art which was quite difficult to implement initially (I’ve got the hang of it now) and then all the traffic and stress of the tests. The good news is the technique looks really good on my current painting and Mom’s eyes are doing a lot better.

Tanka Tuesday

Willow asked poets to write a tanka poem about a photograph that brings to mind a particular memory. You can join in here: https://tankatuesday.com/2026/06/30/tanka-tuesday-challenge-71-photo-tanka-photo-tanka-6-30-26/

This photograph of a gold roses cake I made for my mother’s birthday some years ago is the inspiration for this poem.

Picture caption: Gold roses chocolate cake

The Invastion (double tanka prose)

Whenever I see a shoebox, I am reminded of cockroaches. During the height of my cake making phase, I used to make a lot of fondant flowers. To create the cupped shape of the various flowers, I moulded tinfoil into a bowl shape of the correct size for the flower and carefully arranged the flower inside. I then placed the flowers inside a shoebox and left them to dry for at least a week. Some layered flowers, like roses, took me three weeks to a month to make as I gradually added additional petal layers week by week. I kept a collection of empty shoe boxes in my pantry and used them when I needed them. There were at least ten piled up on a shelf at any given time. Early one summer, I noticed we had several cockroaches in the kitchen. I set some cockroach traps around the room but the problem continued to escalate. A few weeks later, I decided to clear out the entire pantry in an attempt to get rid of the cockroaches. When I brought down the shoeboxes, I discovered they had been adopted as cockroach nests and the boxes were full of these nasty, little creatures. The boxes were disposed of, the pantry cleaned from top to toe, and cockroach traps set just about everywhere. This did bring an end to the invasion but I have never recovered from the horror of discovering all those revolving insects inside those shoeboxes. I no longer collect shoeboxes and am paranoid about cleaning under the fridges and stoves to ensure no unwanted visitors gain a foothold in my kitchen.

peaceful neighbourhood

twenty-four hour food service

attracts cockroach guests

unappealing as they are

nature always has her way

***

taking precautions

to keep insect world in check

part of normal life

should these creatures disappear

world as we know it would end

CFFC

Dan’s CFFC challenge this week is brown. You can join in here: https://nofacilities.com/2026/06/29/the-crayola-box-of-8-brown-cffc/

Picture caption: Young male nyala antelope
Picture caption: head and shoulders of a hartebeest
Picture caption: adult hippo walking down an embankment
Picture caption: head and shoulders of a dark maned lion lying in the grass
Picture caption: spotted thick knee bird resting in front of the wheel of the car
Picture caption: spotted thick knee bird standing in front of the wheel of the car
Picture caption: close up of an adult male lion from the side

Terri’s Flower Hour

When I went shopping this morning I saw this gorgeous King Protea flower. I bought it to photograph with a view to paining it. Terri’s The Flower Hour prompt is patriotic florals. The Giant or King protea is the national flower of South Africa.

You can join in here: https://secondwindleisure.com/2026/06/30/the-flower-hour-37-patriotic-florals/