Roberta Writes – Tanka Tuesday, CFFC, Thursday Doors & Sunday Stills

#CFFC, photography, poetry, Sunday Stills, Tanka Tuesday, Thursday Doors 2 Minutes

It doesn’t rain in Johannesburg during the winter. At least it never did until this year. This week, after the winter solstice, we got rain and a heavy mist. While in the traffic on my way into the office, I wrote this poem and took the accompanying photograph. Unusual for my home city.

This poem is a lai comprising of nine lines for Melissa’s Tanka Tuesday challenge. You can join in here: https://tankatuesday.com/2026/06/23/tankatuesday-poetry-challenge-no-70-the-lai-6-23-26/

Slish! Splosh! Splash!

grey cloud hovers low

golden headlights glow

splish splosh

car snake ultra slow

drizzle impacts flow

my gosh

large puddle – oh no!

mud streaks quite a blow

must wash

Picture caption: A picture of two cranes in Sandton on my drive to work. They are obscured by mist and look rather ghostly and ethereal

Thursday Doors, CFFC, and Sunday Stills

Dan’s CFFC challenge is blue. I have found blue pictures for Dan’s Thursday Doors challenge and Terri’s Sunday Stills wild animals challenge.

You can join in Dan’s CFFC here: https://nofacilities.com/2026/06/22/the-crayola-box-of-8-blue-cffc/

You can join in Dan’s Thursday Doors here: https://nofacilities.com/2026/06/25/czechoslovak-room/

You can join in Terri’s Sunday Stills here: https://secondwindleisure.com/2026/06/21/sunday-stills-animal-of-the-month-where-the-wild-things-are/

Picture caption: I loved the doors of this building, 3 Place Denfert-Rochereau, Paris. The late evening sky turned the white of the building blue and the light glows a lovely yellow from the inside. I liked the arched shape of these large doors with the square inlay.

Click on the slideshow to view two giraffes that I saw at Welgevonden Game Reserve in the Waterkloof, South Africa. This is a series of three photographs of the heads and upper necks of two young giraffes against a bright, blue sky. In the first photograph, the two animals are close together but apart. In the second and third photograph, the two giraffes have crossed their necks at the top so that their heads are pointing in opposite directions. In the second photo, the animals are looking straight ahead while in the last photograph they are looking up with their heads angled upwards.

Picture caption: Dam at Pilanesberg Game Reserve with autumn foliage in the front and hills in the background. the predominant colour is misty blue
Picture caption: small dam on the golf course at the Johannesburg Country Club in Woodmead. The sky is very blue and so is the water.
Picture caption: Trees in autumn red and yellow at the Johannesburg Country Club. The sky is a bright blue.
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Published by robertawrites235681907

I am a writer of young adult fiction and poetry

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102 thoughts on “Roberta Writes – Tanka Tuesday, CFFC, Thursday Doors & Sunday Stills”

  15. We’re alike in that we gawk at the crazy traffic and weather and take the shot with the camera, Robbie! It does not look at all like a summer day. The poem is perfect, too.

    Wow! The giraffes are all incredible captures! I can see why you wanted to share these.

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  16. Who would not love a poem with giraffes? I love the criss-cross look. Your poem makes me think of a post I wrote a couple of years ago when it rained like that in Scottsdale and canceled the huge golf tournament in town. Loved – oh no a puddle! LOL What an understatement, right?

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  18. Everyone’s weather is topsy turvey.

    Giraffes are always so fascinating to look at, we never tire of seeing pictures of them.

    Don’t add it to your busy schedule, but lots of photographers do on line talks for camera clubs and presumably other groups. So on Wednesday we had our camera club Zoom meeting and I spent a wonderful evening on my sofa in Uganda.

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  19. We’re also having a lot of fog but that’s pretty normal for us. I love the expression on the giraffe in the sun! it’s like she/he is posing – “look, ain’t I gorgeous!”

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  21. I enjoy a rainy, misty day—but not when I’m driving! I agree with you about the Paris doors. The photos of the two giraffes prompt me to wonder what they’re thinking.

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  22. that fog is quite impressive; love the giraffes ad our poem, Robbie; I wrote a poem once on my way to work at the traffic lights; a cop pulled me over and cautioned me, saying : if you persist in writing in your notebook while you’re behind the wheel I’ll write you a ticket !!

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  28. I didn’t realize mist was such a treat for you, even while stuck in traffic. 😊 I like the Paris doors, and of course, the giraffes are wonderful! They seem very affectionate.

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  30. Aww, lovely giraffes – went to that first! Excellent Paris – but of course. And then there’s splosh and splash etc (grinning) – hmm, very normal over here. Wet and more!

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  31. We are having an unusually wet summer this year as well- it doesn’t usually rain till the end of July or August- but it has rained nearly every week. Keeps the wildfires at bay though so that is a plus.

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  34. It would seem you’ve had some Indiana weather. I know about those splishes and splashes and sploshes! Nice word-capture! I think those giraffes were posing for you!

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  36. Weather is no longer tame and predictable anywhere now – it seems! I love the cranes in the mist, yes so ethereal, a wonderful shot. I love the giraffes and the door too. Your Lai is evocative and for me the car snake captures the feel so well.

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  39. Hi Robbie, Such a fun poem and what a great way to spend your time stuck in traffic. The photographs of the giraffes crossing their heads is beautiful and I love the one of the hotel in Paris. The blue light makes it look exotic.

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      1. Me too…if I have a book to read, I don’t care about waiting…reading has made me patient. So as blogging. I hope you are enjoying the new job.

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  41. That is a fun poem, Robbie, thank you!

    OMG…Giraffe love! 3 great shots… amazing. That building looks so cool in blue.

    Fab post!

    ❦🌹

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