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

Kim at d’Verse challenged poets to write an acrostic poem using someone’s name. When I read here post here: https://dversepoets.com/2026/03/19/meeting-the-bar-tell-me-your-name/ I realised there is a lot more to this form than I have previously believed. I embraced it and wrote two acrostic poems.

The first is for Dennis’ W3 challenge to write about a lighthouse. The first letters form the words Mother Love. You can join in here: https://skepticskaddish.com/2026/03/18/w3-prompt-203-weave-written-weekly/.

The second poem forms the name of my oldest son, Gregory, who graduated from University with Honours in Mathematics this week (with distinction). He is working as a tutor at the University while he does a Masters in Homological Mathematics. This poem is for the d’Verse challenge. Thank you, Kim!

I have also written a micro poem which is between the two poems and about my son.

Mother Love (for W3)

My son, you have made me so proud. It’s an

Outstanding achievement to pass Honours with distinction. Now,

There you are on the threshold of an exciting new life. I

Hope your hard work and dedication will serve you well. You are so

Ernest in your quest to find meaning in your life. Your

Resolve to help others up the education ladder makes you a

Lighthouse in the lives of those less gifted than you. You turn the

Ordinary into something brighter and better. You are calm and never

Vexed when things don’t go your way. This quality makes you quite

Extraordinary in addition to your unusual mind and abilities.

my best qualities

in your hands have become a

lighthouse in the dark

Gregory (for d’Verse)

Guidance kindly provided in your

Responses to your students. You are

Exceptional in your patience. Ready to

Guide others on their way and help

Overcome obstacles along the

Road to success: Yours and other peoples.

You are a wonderful teacher and person

Thursday Doors

This is the door to the Great Hall where the graduation takes place. It is from last year. We were later arriving this year so I couldn’t get as good a picture due to the crowds. You can join in Thursday Doors here: https://nofacilities.com/2026/03/19/polish-room-announcement/

These are some pictures from the graduation (click on the slideshow to see the pictures).

Roberta Writes – Story Chat Digest Where Stories Meet: An Anthology of Short Stories & Poems (Story Chat Series Book 3) book blog tour

Thank you to curator, Marsha Ingrao, for hosting the Story Chat Digest on her lovely blog, Always Write. You can find out more about Story Chat Digest as well as how to submit your stories and/or poems here: https://alwayswrite.blog/join-story-chat-digest-2026-an-online-writing-community-for-all-authors/.

Story Chat Digest forms the basis of the Story Chat Digest anthology making it a unique and interesting collection.

About Story Chat Digest Where Stories Meet: An Anthology of Short Stories & Poems (Story Chat Series Book 3)

Picture caption: Cover of Story Chat Digest Where Stories Meet

Story Chat Digest Where Stories Meet An Anthology of Short Stories and Poems

Story Chat Digest Where Stories Meet brings together a vibrant collection of short fiction and contemporary poetry from writers across continents. Each piece stands on its own, yet together they form a thoughtful conversation about life’s moments—large and small, joyful and difficult, humorous and reflective.

Within these pages, you’ll encounter stories that linger like candlelit conversations and poems that capture the quiet textures of everyday life. Mystery, memory, family, resilience, faith, and friendship all find their place in this rich and varied collection.

The anthology grew out of the Story Chat community—an international group of writers and readers who share a love of storytelling and the discussions stories inspire. Throughout the book, readers will find Book Club Questions and Story Chat reflections designed to encourage conversation and deeper engagement.

Whether you are reading alone or with friends, this anthology invites you to pause, reflect, and enjoy the power of stories shared across cultures and experiences.

Story Chat Digest Where Stories Meet is more than a collection of writing—it is an invitation to join the circle where stories meet, and conversations begin.

Purchase Story Chat Digest Where Stories Meet: An Anthology of Short Stories & Poems (Story Chat Series Book 3)

A 5 star review of Story Chat Digest Where Stories Meet: An Anthology of Short Stories & Poems (Story Chat Series Book 3)

This is such a cool idea for an anthology: There are stories and poems on a wide variety of subjects. Plus there are discussions about those stories and poems between the authors who wrote them. Readers see the prompts that the authors used, and pieces are grouped around those prompts/themes. Stories are flash length. Poems are free verse or sonnets or narrative or image-rich. It’s all good stuff.

My favorites were pieces that got me thinking about life and my relationships, starting with “Countdown” by Grant P. Ferguson. What would you do differently if you knew how long you had left to live? If you knew how long someone else had left to live, would you tell them? Tough questions. That’s what Ferguson’s protagonist had to deal with.

In “A Slight Delay” by Philip Cumberland, Samantha and her younger brother encounter a dangerous situation which got me wondering what I’d do in her shoes.

I enjoyed the poem “My Brother’s Soul” by Richard Daniels because it made me stop and ponder the nature of human souls.

The older I get, the more I think about aging, and Cathy Cade’s story, “As Old as We Feel” drove that point home. May our society respect and treat our elders kindly! (It was the perfect story for the section in the anthology of Quiet Endings.)

I could go on, but just know it’s a unique anthology with many different voices from around the world, giving readers different perspectives and different things to think about.

About Marsha Ingrao

Marsha Ingrao is the founder and online host of the Story Chat community and the compilation editor of the Story Chat series. A lifelong educator, she continues to foster global literary conversation through blogging, collaborative anthologies, and virtual gatherings.

After retiring from public education, she expanded her work into writing, photography, and publishing. She believes strongly in lifelong learning and the power of shared storytelling to build connections across cultures.

Blog:www.alwayswrite.blog

Picture caption: Author photograph of Marsha Ingrao

Roberta Writes – d’Verse Quadrille: Bird & Poetics, Embodying a Landscape & Thursday Doors

d’Verse Quadrille: Bird

I always enjoy De Jackson’s quadrille challenges. This week, the challenge is to write a poem of exactly 44 words using the word bird.

My mom fell in the early hours of Saturday morning and fractured a rib. It is a ‘blunt instrument’ injury as she tripped over a small step going into the bathroom and fell forward into the wash basin. It’s been a tough week but she seems to be on the mend. A am in the ‘dog box’ for making her do the breathing exercises every hour. They hurt but they are vital.

You can read other poets contributions here: https://dversepoets.com/2026/03/09/quadrille-243-bird-is-the-word/

Damaged Bird

Reading her message

fear swamps me

“I fell last night

I’m in terrible pain

Please come”

When I get there

she’s sitting huddled

a crumpled baby bird

fallen from its nest

Wing broken

Another trip

to the emergency room

God, don’t let this end!

Poetics: Embodying a Landscape

Dora’s challenge is to write a poem embodying a landscape. I’m not sure if I followed the instructions properly (I’m very bad at following instructions) but I have written about how my waterfall painting has led me to a place of perfect peace as I have endured Mom’s fall and a difficult leaving period from my job. This painting has been a significant art undertaking from me. I started it in early December and I’m nearly finished. I’m hoping to be done next weekend. It is my best piece so far and I look forward to sharing the finished piece with you all in due course. In the meantime, I’m sharing a photograph of the waterfall.

You can read other poet’s work here: https://dversepoets.com/2026/03/10/poetics-embodying-a-landscape/

Perfect Peace

muted colours

rainbow shades

dispersed in

soft ripples

of moving water

silver froth

dances over

water slicked rocks

each delicate bubble

tinkling gently

water fairy giggles

my mind empties

as turbulent worries

slip quietly away

and I let go

into perfect peace

Picture caption: My photograph of a waterfall I saw during a hike in the Drakensberg.

Thursday Doors

In early January 2025, my family stayed at a family hotel in the Drakensberg. I specifically wanted to do a short day hike to see the waterfalls and the ‘Grotto”.

These are a few photographs of doors at the hotel, Champagne Sports Resort.

You can join in Dan’s challenge here: https://nofacilities.com/2026/03/12/irish-room-happy-st-patricks-day/

Roberta Writes – Book promotion: This Is How We Eat anthology collated by Yvette Prior

My contribution to This Is How We Eat reflects on over exercise and a restricted diet in pursuit of the idealised body and perceived good health. I’m grateful to be part of this anthology alongside seventeen thoughtful writers.

You can read Yvette’s post about my contribution here: https://phpub.wordpress.com/2026/02/25/author-spotlight-robbie-cheadle-overexercising-and-restriction-this-is-how-we-eat/

This Is How We Eat (2026) brings together 17 authors who explore how food shapes memory, identity, emotion, culture, and connection. More than a collection of food stories, the book considers how eating influences community, belief, and becoming. It invites readers to reflect on their own tables — the meals that formed them, the flavors that anchored them, the rituals that sustained them — and offers a virtual slice of cake and a place at a longer table.

Blurb

Picture caption: Cover of This is How We Eat anthology

This Is How We Eat: Stories about Food, Culture, and Connection gathers seventeen diverse voices in an anthology that blends memoir, fiction, and poetic reflection. What began as an open invitation to explore “how we eat” unfolded into a deeply personal collection grounded in episodic memory and lived experience.

Within these pages, readers will encounter stories of migration and hospitality, body image and intuitive eating, gardening with grandchildren, solo dumpling dinners, budgeting with food, faith expressed through meals, and everyday rituals that shaped identity. Two layered fiction chapters provide a strong narrative close, reminding us that food can connect strangers, calm the body, and carry emotional depth.

While vivid food descriptions and a handful of recipes appear throughout, this is not simply a book about food. It is an exploration of human experience, belonging, culture, and the relationships formed away from and around the table. The anthology invites readers to reflect on their own tables — the choices they have made, the flavors that anchored their meals, and the connections that continue to shape who they are.

Picture caption: Table of Contents

Purchase This Is How We Eat

AVAILABLE NOW

●     Amazon & Kindle

●     Goodreads

●     Priorhouse Master Page

About Robbie Cheadle

Picture caption: Robbie Cheadle author photograph

South African author, photographer, and artist, Robbie Cheadle, has written and illustrated seventeen children’s books, illustrated a further three children’s books, written and illustrated four poetry books and written and illustrated one celebration of cake and fondant art book with recipes. Her work has also appeared in poetry and short story anthologies.

Robbie also has two novels and a collection of short stories published under the name of Roberta Eaton Cheadle and has horror, paranormal, and fantasy short stories featured in several anthologies under this name.

You can find Robbie Cheadle’s artwork, fondant and cake artwork, and all her books on her website here: https://www.robbiecheadle.co.za/

Social Media Links

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/robbiecheadle.bsky.social
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVyFo_OJLPqFa9ZhHnCfHUA
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15584446.Robbie_Cheadle
TSL Publications: https://tslbooks.uk/product-tag/robbie-cheadle/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Robbie-Cheadle/author/B01N9J62GQ
Unsplash profile: https://unsplash.com/@r_cheadle