Roberta Writes – d’Verse, Tanka Tuesday, W3, The Flower Hour and Thursday Doors

#d'Verse, photography, poetry, Tanka Tuesday, The Flower Hour, Thursday Doors, W3 2 Minutes

Today is Friday at last and I do have it off. My work hours are under severe threat and I’m going to have to increase them for three months as I have a big project on the go. There is no use in working the hours and not getting paid for them. Anyhow, onwards and upwards.

d’Verse, Tanka Tuesday and W3

I’ve used the d’Verse theme of night provided by the wonderful Dora for both my Tanka Tuesday and my W3 offerings this week.

You can join in Dora’s d’Verse challenge here: https://dversepoets.com/2026/07/14/my-god-its-full-of-stars/

Colleen’s Tanka Tuesday challenge is to write a bussokuseki. You can join in here: https://tankatuesday.com/2026/07/14/tankatuesday-poetry-challenge-no-73-bussokuseki-7-13-26/

This first poem is a bussokuseki about the African bush at night.

Night in the Bush

darkness in the bush

shines like polished black marble

healthy and glossy

splattered with bright, sparkling stars

by comparison, town dark

appears anemic and pale

Jaideep’s challenge is to write a three line poem merging a cultural tradition and modern technology. You can join in W3 here: https://skepticskaddish.com/2026/07/15/w3-prompt-220-weave-written-weekly/

I selected the tradition of using the Southern Cross constellation as a directional guide combined with working on a computer.

My Artificial Life

Dark night of my computer screen

loads itself into start mode.

Logon criteria flash,

artificial Southern Cross.

Guiding my entrance into

another working day.

The Flower Hour

Last week I mentioned that I’d attended a partner conference in my new job. These photographs are of the gorgeous pincushion protea flower arrangements that graced the lunch tables.

You can join in Terri’s The Flower Hour here: https://secondwindleisure.com/2026/07/14/the-flower-hour-39-something-about-orange-flowers/

  • Flower arrangement featuring three pincushion proteas in red, orange, and yellow.
    Flower arrangement featuring three pincushion proteas in red, orange, and yellow.
  • Close up of a single pincushion protea. The red tipped orange petals are narrow and curve inwards above its yellow centre hence its name - pincushion protea.
    Close up of a single pincushion protea. The red tipped orange petals are narrow and curve inwards above its yellow centre hence its name – pincushion protea.
  • A slightly more distanced shot of the three pincushion proteas flower arrangement.
    A slightly more distanced shot of the three pincushion proteas flower arrangement.

Thursday Doors

On Sunday past, my family attended the Rocky Horror Picture Show at Monte Casinos Pieter Torien theatre. It’s been more years than I’m going to tell you since TC and I last saw this show and I’d forgotten how graphic it is. I was a bit worried about Michael’s friend, Jenna, but she took it in her stride and enjoyed it.

You can join in Dan’s challenge here: https://nofacilities.com/2026/07/16/korean-heritage-room/

These are some beautiful doors from outside the theatre.

  • Doors painted with an Italian street scene during summer from a distance.
    Doors painted with an Italian street scene during summer from a distance.
  • Close up of doors painted with an Italian summer street scene featuring lots of greenery.
    Close up of doors painted with an Italian summer street scene featuring lots of greenery.

These photographs are of the stage:

  • The closed curtains on the stage lit up with blue and pink.
    The closed curtains on the stage lit up with blue and pink.
  • Two ladies in costumes from the cast. They saw my taking photographs and posed for the camera.
    Two ladies in costumes from the cast. They saw my taking photographs and posed for the camera.
  • One of the set doors on the stage in the form of a balcony to the side.
    One of the set doors on the stage in the form of a balcony to the side.
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Published by robertawrites235681907

I am a writer of young adult fiction and poetry

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91 thoughts on “Roberta Writes – d’Verse, Tanka Tuesday, W3, The Flower Hour and Thursday Doors”

  1. Another full post, Robbie. I’m sorry about your work hours. I hope they improve once the big project is completed. Night in the Bush is especially evocative. I’m glad you got to get out to see a show. I’ve only seen the movie version of Rocky Horror. My sister used to go see it often. It used to be a thing here. 😊

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  2. Great photos and poetry, Robbie. I love the painted doors. I thought at first it was a reflection.

    I love: …artificial Southern Cross.

    Guiding my entrance into

    another working day

    I remember that feeling.

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  11. Thank you for including the beautiful orange protea in your post, Robbie! I love the idea of navigating a work day by way of the Southern Cross. The immensity of space puts the smallness of work into perspective, doesn’t it. But when you’re in the midst of it, its huge! Fingers crossed for a good outcome for your work! I’ll wish you a happy Friday anyway!

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  15. Beautiful, Robbie! I love your use of metaphor in both poems: “polished black marble” and “Dark night of my computer screen,” which made me smile at the allusion to dark night of the soul. Just thinking of a night in the bush being “healthy and glossy” dismisses any fear (which we expect), conversely highlights its utter beauty.

    So good to hear you have a new job! God bless, Robbie. May the pincushion proteas be harbingers of much blessing for you as I’m sure it will be for the folks you work with. 🤗❤️

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  16. YES… get paid!

    You can use the $$$ to buy more art supplies!

    The leopard was in your orange post. It is soooo fabulous. You have a real gift here.

    I enjoyed you poetry, the pics of flowers, doors and the girls on the stage are adorable.

    Thank you, Robbie! ❦🤍❦

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  19. Robbie, I always enjoy visiting your Friday round-up because it feels like a walk through your week. There is poetry inspired by the African night sky, the beauty of proteas, family outings, and those wonderful theatre doors. And they are all woven together with the realities of everyday life. I hope the next few months of increased work go smoothly. It sounds like a demanding season, but I admire your practical outlook! If you’re putting in the hours, they should be valued. Wishing you every success with your project.

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    1. Thank you, Rebecca. I suppose these posts are a sort of a weekly roundup and the poems are a bit like journal entries. I’m pleased you like them and I always manage work. People and environment are important to feeling like an insider at work.

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  20. I really like your three insightful poems. I’ve never thought of darkness in the wilderness as shiny like polished marble, although night in town is anemic. At “The Rocky Horror Horror Show,” did the audience throw toast at the stage? (It’s a “thing” over here.)

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  22. I love the door painted with the Italian street scene. Your flower is lovely! I’m sorry you have to increase your hours at work for the next few months.

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  24. Your concept of the computer start-up as guiding star was very clever — and right on the mark, too. These days our machines do point us the way. Those protea centerpieces are lovely! You sure packed a lot in this post — and into your Friday!

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  25. I liked your comparison of the wilderness night vs city night. I recently spent the night in Grasslands National Park which is a dark sky preserve in Canada. Nothing like a night in the darkest of dark – polished black marble/healthy and glossy – lovely description.

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  26. I loved the Rocky Horror Picture Show too, Robbie. In the 80s and 90s teens all across America flocked to theatres to see the movie. They would dress up as the characters and say the parts along with the characters. Great fun!! I’m glad the new job is going well. I enjoyed your poetry, too! 💜

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  27. I love those proteas, we have another type in our front garden, just glorious. Black marble really captures a certain experience of night sky for me, so loved the poem. Hope you catch a break soon.

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  30. We had that type of night sky in our condo in Prescott. It was not right in town, and nights were so clear. The comoparison for me is here in the valley where the light is often filtered through dust and other kinds of pollutants, dimming it. Seeing the show sounds like a real winner. I’m glad you had such fun. I hope your job stays manageable, my friend. No point in jumping from the frying pan into the fire.

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  31. what a rich feast this morning ! loved these, Robbie, verse and pics, perhaps my fave is the flower arrangement 🙂 cheers, Robbie: hope you get on top of things; panda hugs 🙂

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  34. Robbie, ommigosh, I love how your two poems set the rich, star-splashed darkness of the bush against the pale glow of a computer screen, turning the Southern Cross from a guide through nature into a password for the working day.

    ~David

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