Roberta Writes – Esther Chilton’s writing prompt: Waiting and new book #haibun #waiting

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Esther’s writing prompt for this week is Waiting. You can join in here: https://estherchilton.co.uk/2025/03/26/writing-prompts-58/

In the waiting room

There is solidarity is the waiting room. No one wants to be there. Everyone is waiting for news. People smile sympathy at each other, as if it were a tangible item to be gifted. The walls are shiny white. So white they’re almost blinding. The smell of disinfectant lingers, it’s tones acrid and bitter. An attempt to eliminate the stench of anxiety, overripe, like rotting fruit. The combination forces acid bile up my throat. It burns. The hustle and bustle of the hospital is distant and muted in the waiting room. There are no distractions. I sit and unwanted memories come. Memories of other, similar waits. So many. More than I can count on both hands and feet, twice over.

Waiting room prison

Full of memory felons

Will he live or die

New book

My new poetry collection, Burning Butterflies, is available for pre-order on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Burning-Butterflies-Poetry-Southern-African-ebook/dp/B0F2SDF2GW

Picture caption: Cover of Burning Butterflies featuring an elephant against a background of fire (artwork in charcoal and oil pastels by Robbie Cheadle). The background is fire and smoke with orange butterflies attempting to escape the flames. Cover design by Colleen Chesebro of Unicorn Cats Publishing (https://colleenchesebro.org/my-services-unicorn-cats-publishing-services/)

Blurb

Butterflies are interpreted, inter alia, as symbols of transformation and change, hope and rebirth, spirituality, the soul, creativity, nature, beauty, and resurrection. Faced with the annihilation of much of the planet’s forests, wetlands, and other habitats for wildlife, all the wonderful things that butterflies symbolise are gradually being destroyed.

This book celebrates Southern African flora and fauna, while acknowledging the threats it faces.

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Published by robertawrites235681907

I am a writer of young adult fiction and poetry

Published

55 thoughts on “Roberta Writes – Esther Chilton’s writing prompt: Waiting and new book #haibun #waiting”

  10. You have described so well the waiting room angst. Ugh. (But wonderfully written!)

    And I have to agree, the cover of your latest book is stunning!

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  22. I love butterflies! Your book will be lovely. I’m giving it a shout-out on my blog tomorrow (Friday, Apr. 4th). I see that it’s a #1 New Release on Pre-Order! That’s fabulous. Congratulations!

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