This poem is for last week’s d’Verse challenge hosted by Melissa Lemay. You can read other poet’s contributions here: https://dversepoets.com/2026/08/25/35510/
it is also for Colleen Chesebro’s Tanka Tuesday challenge from last week which you can see here: https://tankatuesday.com/2026/08/25/tankatuesday-poetry-challenge-no-79-color-as-a-metaphor-8-25-26/
Transformation (tanka)
ordinary boats
undergo transformation
dipped in molten gold
poured from slowly setting sun
reflections shimmer in bronze

W3
This is my poem for last week’s W3 challenge hosted by Michelle Ayon Navajas. You can view the challenge here: https://skepticskaddish.com/2026/08/26/w3-prompt-226-weave-written-weekly/
Learnings (Tanaga)
I’ve learned to watch skies and clouds
dissolving obstructive shrouds
that obscure contentment’s waves
turning thoughts to anxious slaves
Sunday Stills
Terri’s Sunday Stills challenge is beach scenes. You can join in here: https://secondwindleisure.com/2026/08/30/sunday-stills-its-national-beach-day-lets-go-to-the-beach/
Terri’s challenge is beach views. At first I couldn’t think of any beach pictures as I’m not a beach lover, but then I remembered the ones I took in January at St Lucia when I went to Cape Vidal at night to see the loggerhead turtle.
The Flower Hour
These wisteria flowers are my contribution to Terri’s The Flower Hour which you can join in here: https://secondwindleisure.com/2026/09/01/the-flower-hour-46-floral-abcs-featuring-pq-and-r/
Last year I got no flowers at all. So this late July I started tending the vine. I watered it and fed it with fertiliser. This spring I have been rewarded with several lovely flowers.





Robbie, I’d say that your tanaga reminds us that even our most anxious thoughts can pass, like clouds leaving the sky open again. I love this.
~David
P.S. I added you to the appropriate Mister Linky.
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Great mind-opening poetry and lovely photos, Roberta!
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Gorgeous post Robbie, poetry and photos are so lovely. My wisteria had gone mad this year, virtually doubled 💞
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A wonderful post, Robbie! I love the movement from “ordinary boats” to the luminous words “dipped in molten gold.” The boats themselves have not changed, and yet the setting sun changes everything about the way we see them. You have me thinking about transformation. Not becoming something entirely different, but being revealed differently because the light has shifted.
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Well done Robbie. I especially liked the tanka verse and boat painting. Only four challenges in one post? 😁
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Lovely post, Robbie. I particularly like that the tanka and the image of boats poured from molten gold. Lovely photos, too.
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Gorgeous photos and I love your response to the prompts. Those “reflections (do) shimmer in bronze.”
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