W3
This week’s W3 challenge is hosted by Josie who asks poets to write a poem starting with a line borrowed from another poem.
I selected the first line from Emily Dickenson’s poem, A bird, came down the Walk. You can read this poem here: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/56593/a-bird-came-down-the-walk-359
You can join in W3 here: https://skepticskaddish.com/2026/11/04/w3-prompt-236-weave-written-weekly/
A bird, came down the Walk by Robbie Cheadle
A bird, came down the Walk
It came at a waddling run –
Diving into the bright ocean
And frolicking in the African sun
***
Two friends were encouraged
To join in the swimming game
Wobbling down the jetty
Having fun their only aim
***
Ducking, diving, and floating
Enjoying the gentle waves
Such a pleasurable scene
I could only stand and gaze
***
Suitably cooled and water sated
They rocked awkwardly up the slope
A watching mate breyed laughter 1
At the three tuxedoed dopes
***
Assuming statue-like positions
Basking in the morning heat
Swum out for the time being
Now was the time to retreat
***
But my pleasure was not over
As I set out along the boardwalk
I saw penguins huddled under
And I had to stop and gawk
Thursday Doors
The photographs below were taken in a restaurant in Hermanus, Western Cape. The middle picture is the door to the ladies cloakroom. The last picture is more of the pictures decorating the ladies cloakroom. The decor struck my fancy so I photographed it and the door for Dan Antion’s Thursday Doors challenge. You can join in here: https://nofacilities.com/2026/11/05/indian-room/
The first picture is the late Amy Winehouse. I liked this picture.
CFFC
Dan’s CFFC challenge this week is street views with distractions. You can join in here: https://nofacilities.com/2026/11/02/street-views-distractions-cffc/
Stinkbug in the bath
The insect murderer, aka TC, is at a conference in Durban. I sent him these photographs of a stinkbug in the bath and my poem. Had he been home, he would have killed the stinkbug. He wasn’t so who knows where this little fellow is now – perhaps in his bed – haha!
Stinkbug in the bathtub
White ceramic adventure
Insect explorer
It would be fun to see penguins in the wild. Interesting street pictures, Robbie. Ah, stinkbugs, we have them here in the States, too.
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Thank you, Priscilla. African penguins are, sadly, very endangered. There are only two colonies left in South Africa. Insects are pretty durable and prolific. I suppose they are more adaptable.
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Love your poem and the penguin 🐧 photos Robbie.
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Thank you, Sadje 🩵
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You’re very welcome
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I would have liked more on the stinkbug: it is a most unusual animal — that name …..
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It pleases me that you are interested in stink bugs 😄. The name is due to the horrible smell they give off when threatened. They are the skunks of the insect world.
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hahaha well said
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I like the clock in the city. Are those penguins not tame?
Wonderful post, Robbie
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Hi Hazel, African penguins are wild birds and they are endangered. There are only two colonies left in South Africa.
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Oh hope they can multiply more
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do you know why that bug was in the bath tub? It smelled water and was thirsty but because of the porcelain surface being hard, It cannot get back out.
I would use a glass to put it outside.
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Hi Wayne, I thought it was looking for water. I put a wooden plank into the bath and left it to climb out which it did. I didn’t want to touch it in case it released its smelly stuff.
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Another lovely memory trip Robbie… great words and photos..and i learned all about the stinking thanks to my encyclopedia AI on the phone…I had never heard of them . 💜
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Hi Willow, people are interested in the stinking so I should have written more. I thought the post was long enough 🤭
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I enjoyed your post and you fit these themes together so well from the gawking at the Penguins to the doors to letting the stink bug live
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Hi Robbie: if you type in ‘stink bug /new yorker , you will find a fascinating article from 2018 about an infestation that turned into a horror story —
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The penguins are adorable…the sleepy one looks so cute lol …
…and your poems are lovely, Robbie…🤍
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A delightful poem and penguin photos–I would gawk, too! It’s so cool to see them like that.
Someone at that restaurant must love Frieda Kahlo.😊
People seem to be fascinated by your stinkbug. We have them here, too.
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All wonderful Robbie! And all those places I know so, so well. The best… the gorgeous penguins (of course), but poor little stink bug, I have just removed one of those from my kitchen to just outside.
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Beautiful poem and lovely penguin photos 💕.
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I love the photos of the penguins, you’ve been sharing. One of our favorite places to visit when we’re in Pittsburgh, is the National Aviary. They have a group of African Penguins and they are involved in efforts to protect and reestablish colonies of those little guys. I love seeing them in the wild. Thanks for sharing those images.
I love the poetry and other photos. One of us would have “re-homed” the stinkbug. We do our best not to kill any one that intrudes.
I hope you have a wonderful weekend.
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I enjoyed your poem! I think birds do fly and swim for the sheer joy of it, because they can. Your poem captures that and the joy we get in seeing them.
Good luck with the stink bug.
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