Esther Chilton’s prompt word for this week is DRIVE. You can join in here: https://estherchilton.co.uk/2026/02/11/writing-prompts-102/
I’ve written a Tanka Peunte poem.
Racing Snake
bumper to bumper
three lines snake in; three snake out
not driving – waiting!
constricting coils draw tighter
consideration turns blue
“Drive slow and enjoy the scenery, drive fast and join the scenery.” – Douglas Horton
black mamba slithers
along highway; racing dusk
tyres just touching
asphalt spun out like ribbon
driving with abandonment
CFFC
Dan’s prompt this week is gadgets and gismos. You can join in here: https://nofacilities.com/2026/02/16/gizmos-and-gadgets-cffc/
Sunday Stills
Terri’s Sunday Still’s challenge is sweet. These are photographs of early cake and other sweet creations I made for parties for my sons.
You can join in the challenge here: https://secondwindleisure.com/2026/02/15/sunday-stills-simple-and-sweet/
roberta-writes.com 
I’m skipping the black mamba and going straight to the sweets. Your petit fours turned out beautifully.
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It’s only imagery, Liz 😂
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Aw, Michael was such a cute baby! Your sweet creations over the years are so cool and creative.
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Thank you, Priscilla
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Great images in your poem. Love the photos!
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Thank you, Dwight 😊
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You are welcome.
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💗
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Love rh poem and photos. I’m not a fan of Jello, now I like it even less LOL
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Sorry about the jello 😂. I’m pleased you like the poem 🥰
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Michael looks very content with his gizmos and gadgets Robbie and your sweet creations always look amazing 🎂🍰🍪🍩
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I’m glad you like them, Maggie
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Thank you for those poems – I could picture the snakes. Love the cute baby pic!
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I’m pleased you like them, Esther
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Ha! It took a minute for me to figure out what I was looking at with the hand in the Jell-o. That’s fabulous. I’m sure the kids loved it. All the treats look yummy. Great responses to all the prompts, Robbie. Hugs.
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Hi Teagan, thank you. I’m pleased you enjoyed these treats. I just bought one of your books. The short stories about the pigs. It popped up on Amazon.
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Fascinating poetry, cute picture of Michael, and sweet pictures of the party creations for sons, Roberta.
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Thank you, Tim 🥰
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My pleasure, Roberta. 😍
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🌈
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I wonder what kind of snake you’d call a Transport truck……A TitanBoa?
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😂🤣, that’s a great name 🚛
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Aww… I love baby pics! Michael is so adorable, I had to look twice to see the gizmox and gadgets.
You were a fab mom, Robbie, baking all those goodies. 🕊🌟
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Hi Resa, it was quite nostalgic for me going through my ‘littlies’ pictures. Greg turns 23 on Tuesday 🥰
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…23…
Sigh! Time blows me away. ✾💙✾
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We’ve all experienced the snaking line that goes forever. I enjoyed your poems and pictures, Robbie. Michael under the gadgets and gizmos is a classic scene for parents with babies 🙂
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Hi Barbara, it was fun for me to revisit my baby photographs. They are adults now.
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Same here-all men now!
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Aww, love seeing sweet baby Michael, Robbie! All those sweets look yummy. I do miss seeing your amazing fondant cakes and creations. That quote is perfect with your poetry and hopefully not too prophetic, but it’s inevitable. I can’t believe how fast people drive on our rural highways here, then tailgate.
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Hi Terri, I don’t do much baking now the boys are adults. Everyone is health conscious.
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The end of an era! ❤️
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Yes
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This is a great post, Robbie, and terrific gizmos!
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Thank you, Dan 💝
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Those are nice snake poems. Michael was a very cute baby. Beautiful!
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Thank you, Thomas. The baby stage passes so quickly and you don’t realise when you are in the midst of it how precious it is.
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Yes you are right. Now we are seeing it again with our first grandchild Jack. It won’t be long before he is walking, talking and then driving a moped.
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Wonderful trio, Robbie! Traffic can definitely feel like a crawling snake!
Love your gizmo pic.
Sweet treats indeed!
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I’m glad you enjoyed this post 🌺
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I did! 💞
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I’m happy to live in a city with public transportation…I have never owned a car.
And yes, all those gizmos for children…(K)
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The public transport system in South Africa isn’t good or safe. Millions of workers get around in informal taxis which are often not road worthy and the drivers take terrible risks. There are often terrible road accidents here.
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Most of the US is only car-friendly. I think car accidents are the leading cause of children’s deaths here. People don’t pay attention and they like to drive fast.
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Michael’s baby picture was so cute, Robbie! I wish to sample all the sweets but it’s late. They’d keep me awake.
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Hi Miriam, as you get older you have to give up some things in the evenings. TCs stopped drinking coffee at night now 💓
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Love the poems and what about those delicious looking goodies 😋😋😋
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Hi Michael, thank you. I always enjoyed making fun cakes and sweet treats.
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And you excel in this 😊👌
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💝
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I love your poem with the quote Robbie.
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Thank you, Sadje. It’s a fun form for me.
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You’re very welcome dear friend
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🩵
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🩷🩷🩷
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You should have applies a trigger warning. Your poem left me feeling like I was in a traffic jam and then slamming my foot to the floor to scream my way out. I have never heard go a Tanka Peurte before.
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Hi Sean, I think I made up Tanka Peurte which is a Peurte form with the two opposing thoughts set out as tanka poems. Driving can be awful or it can be fantastic.
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That is a clever poetic form to come up with. I will have to try it.
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I love the traffic is a snake motif of your poem! I live in Alaska and we do not have traffic or busy highways like they do in the lower 48- but I do remember – and not fondly!
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they do in Anchorage, I should clarify- but then- is Anchorage really Alaska? hehehe
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🙃💚
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Traffic is no fun 💛. I’m pleased you can relate to this poem.
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What fun these are! All lovely, Robbie.
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I’m glad you enjoyed, Chris 🙃💛
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Oh, black mamba snake is a very creepy image! Michael was a cute baby. I think I have photos of my son with gizmos and gadgets. 🤩
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These baby toys are a parents best friend 🌞. Black mamba is the most deadly snake in Africa 🖤
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What are those gray circular ones? Star Wars-themed?
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Hi Edward, yes, those were Death Star biscuits 🌸
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That’s what I thought, but decided to ask you just in case. I’m a big Star Wars fan, so they look awesome.
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Thank you 💀⭐️
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You’re so welcome, and nice emoji combo.
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Love your Tanka Peunte – really enjoyed your original use of the snakes 💞
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Thank you 💖
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I only drink one cup of coffee with lots of creamer in the morning. Black coffee was hard for my stomach. 😍
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I can’t drink coffee at all. It gives me the shakes.
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A perfect metaphor for traffic, Robbie. I’ll remember that when I’m stuck in a long line of cars. And a cute picture of Michael with all his gizmos and gadgets. So adorable. 🙂
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I’m glad you enjoyed the baby picture, Diana 💚
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Great poems, Robbie, and can you send some of those sweets? 🙂 Love the photo of baby Michael too. So cute! 🥰
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Thank you, Lauren 💞
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Robbie, lovely poem and the photos are priceless.
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I’m delighted you like the post 💓
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💖💖
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love that black mamba poem and those yummy cakes 🙂
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I’m so glad you enjoyed this post, John 🐍
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Hi Robbie, thank you for another lovely post!
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I’m so pleased you enjoyed this post, Charles
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