d’Verse
d’Verse’s challenge is to write a poem inspired by the painting below entitled “Mme Kupka among Verticals”. It was painted in 1910-11 by Frantisek Kupka. You can join in here: https://dversepoets.com/2026/01/15/its-open-link-night-and-our-live-session-is-just-around-the-corner/. You can also find out details for today’s live meeting of d’Verse poets.
Coincidentally, Esther’s weekly writing challenge word is red and that fitted in with my poem. You can join in here: https://estherchilton.co.uk/2026/01/14/writing-prompts-99/
All the Colours of Red (imagist poem)
lying comfortably
on soft summer grass
sun shining through
closed eyelids
I see a crimson ocean
seaweed strands waving
in tendrils of carmine
streaked with Venetian red
jelly fish
large and small
pulse up and down
and across
blobs of vibrant colour
in coral, vermillion,
and scarlet
warmth suddenly fades
landscape shifts
to darker burgundy,
maroon, and chestnut
and then
brightness returns
European Roller
announces its presence
with a raucous cry
rocking and rolling
through the summer sky
flashing its brilliant blue
and midnight black
flight feathers
Come autumn
its does an about turn
jiving back to Europe
This poem is another Imagist poem for Bird of the Week and the photograph is for Terri’s Sunday Stills.
You can join in Bird of the Week here: https://anotherglobaleater.wordpress.com/2026/01/06/sri-lanka-frogmouth-birds-of-the-week-invitation-cl
You can join Sunday Stills here: https://secondwindleisure.com/2026/01/11/sunday-stills-monthly-color-challenge-putting-the-aqua-in-marine-and-the-ice-in-blue/
CFFC: Old & New
You can join in CFFC here: https://nofacilities.com/2026/01/12/old-or-new-or-both-cffc-jusjojan/
roberta-writes.com 
Nice front view of the Eurasian roller
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Thank you 🩵
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I loved your poem, especially the lines:
I see a crimson ocean
seaweed strands waving
in tendrils of carmine
streaked with Venetian red
The baby warthogs are delightful!
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Thank you, Esther. 🤗
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Lovely poems and photos, Robbie! Beautiful portrait of the European roller.
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Thank you, Merril
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You’re welcome, Robbie!
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🧡
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You are reaching out to all senses here, with this post, and quite successfully, I might add. The photo of the adorable bird, does it and you proud!
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Cute warthogs. I enjoyed your poems, Robbie, especially “All the Colours of Red” because you put life into a nonliving visible wavelength (red).
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I love your poems, Robbie, and that’s the best old & new photo I’ve seen. The baby warthogs are pretty big!
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A good response to the prompt Robbie you depict “red” in many shades in your poem…You have caught a perfect image of the European Roller …x
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You have captured that unique sensation lying in the sun with the unique colours we see with our eyes closed.
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Beautifully written. It is amazing what we see when we pause long enough to look and study the details! Well done.
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Fantastic poems and photos. I see you got the European Roller 😊👌. Well done, Robbie 👍
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Wonderful poetry Robbie – your words hit the senses and the photos are fabulous ❤️
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Wonderful poem. I love the lovely European roller, and the wee warthogs are adorable.
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Love the thought of all those colors.
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Both perfectly crafted. You described the dance that plays on closed eyelids in bright sun so well. And what a handsome bird! I had never seen nor hear of it before.
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Beautiful poems Robbie ♥️👍🏼♥️
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Your poetry is fantastic, Roberta. The warthogs look great to me.
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Beautiful poems, Robbie, and the photo of the cute bluish bird is simply marvelous 😍
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Definitely a VIBRANT poem…just as the image I gave in the optional prompt is. I love the use of color here, the imagery. Isn’t it wonderful how words can paint colors by using something other than just the word “red”?
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