Roberta Writes – Thursday Doors & W3: River Fun, a poem #MadikweGameReserve #elephants #poetry

For Thursday Doors, I am sharing another door picture from our trip to Thakadu River Camp at Madikwe Game Reserve.

This is the door into the lounges and dining room area. I really like this picture as the mixture of the golden light and the bluish shadows appeals to me. You can join in Thursday Doors here: https://nofacilities.com/2024/01/18/traffic-jam-doors/

W3 90 – Jamb-Jitsu poem

This weeks W3 prompt is to write a Jumb-Jitsu. You can join in here: https://skepticskaddish.com/2024/01/17/w3-prompt-90-weave-written-weekly/

Jamb-Jitsu?

  • Two stanzas (S1 and S2) with three rules:
    1. S1 must have more lines than S2;
    2. ALL lines of S1 must employ enjambment;
      • Enjambment is: the running-over of a sentence or phrase from one poetic line to the next, without terminal punctuation;
    3. ALL lines of S2 must have the same number of syllables

This poem is about …

Picture caption: My charcoal drawing of a small elephant cuddling into its mother

River Fun

What a special experience

to see a herd of sixty elephants

playing in the river. Splashing,

rolling and ducking each other,

like children in a giant swimming

pool. The matriarch still maintains

good order among her subjects.

***

Mum lingers in the road

Waiting for her young one

Who wants to join the fun

Humans – wait your turn, please

Photo caption: Two elephants playing
Picture caption: Continuation of the elephants pay in the river
Picture caption: Mom and two babies waiting to cross the road
Picture caption: The cutest baby ellie ever.

This is a YT video of the dominant elephant in the river:

These two elephants were practically completely submerged:

Four ellies swimming

93 thoughts on “Roberta Writes – Thursday Doors & W3: River Fun, a poem #MadikweGameReserve #elephants #poetry

    1. Hi D, I had to look up visual artist LOL. I suppose I am. I love photography and I’ve recently started with artworks (last year March). I’m glad you like my small elephant charcoal. My son doesn’t like elephants. They are one of the few African animals that will attack a vehicle if they are upset. We had a bad experience and he’s never liked them since. I love them, but am very respectful of them.

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      1. You and your son are wise. Even as I wrote that I was thinking how I can like elephants from afar but sure wouldn’t want to meet one in the woods.
        A few winters ago I dabbled with painting as a distraction. I didn’t hate the results and the activity seemed to help my writing muse at the time. There’s a lot going on in your charcoal drawing; it’d make a good ekphrastic piece. Hmm…

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        1. HI D, I find the elephant a bit poignant, but others see great happiness in it. I’m very pleased you like it. I have walked with elephants but they are not animals to mess about with. Well, no wild animal is, they are not tame or even trained.

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          1. I respect your respect for large and wild animals. If you are referring to the drawing, yes, I see the poignancy in it. It is not a simplistic drawing at all, and that too reflects the respect for elephants and their intelligence. The perspective and rendering are intriguing. I hope you continue to work in this medium, and more.
            Have you read The Elephant Whisperer, by Lawrence Anthony?

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          2. I haven’t read that book, but I have heard of it. I will add it to my list. Thank you for the recommendation. I am starting a new series of watercolour paintings called The Light. I am very excited about it and will share in due course.

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  1. Elephant entertainment. I can imagine the News Channel on Elephant TV. It’s sunny again today. The pool is open but limited to no more than four at a time. The busiest time is between 2:00 pm and 5:30 pm, so if you want to see your friends, be sure to head over between those hours. Mothers and babies’ hours are from 1:30 to 2:00. Ellie, back to you.

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      1. Inspiration from the fun videos. They spoke out loud to me as if someone was narrating! BTW Mamas’ and Babies’ time was supposed to be 10 to 1:30 or whatever it was, not 1-1:30. LOL

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  2. You captured the inviting, golden glow in the doorway photo. Beautiful!
    And the details in your drawing is incredible. I would have said pen and ink, rather than charcoal.
    Fun observations in words, photos, and videos of the elephants. How amazing it must be to see them in their natural habitat.

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    1. Hi Merril, I’m glad you enjoyed this post. These are my favourite posts to share. I have never tried working with pen and ink but I do enjoy charcoal. I am currently tending towards watercolour painting. I like the way the colours blend together. Elephants, and all other creatures, are just amazing. I love them all.

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  3. That photo with the gold and blue is lovely, Robbie. It has wonderfully varied textures too. And your artwork is always mesmerizing. Thanks for sharing the elephant river-play, and the poem that wonderfully complements them. Great post.

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  4. Your drawing is wonderful! I love the lantern light on the stone around the door, and I also love the coherence in the whole post — and I can assure those elephants I would most certainly wait my turn!

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