Roberta Writes – d’Verse – poetics, W3, Bird of the week, and Thursday Doors

d’Verse, W3 & Bird of the week

I’ve put all three of these challenges together this week.
Dora’s d’Verse poetics challenge is something borrowed, something blue. You can join in here: https://dversepoets.com/2026/06/02/poetics-something-borrowed-something-blue/

Deanna’s W3 challenge is to include a character from a nursery rhyme. You can join in here: https://skepticskaddish.com/2026/06/03/w3-prompt-214-weave-written-weekly/

You can join in the bird of the week challenge here: https://anotherglobaleater.wordpress.com/2026/06/02/tufted-duck-birds-of-the-week-invitation-clxxi/

I have written five syllabic poems, on for each component of Dora’s challenge. Each verse includes a character from a nursery rhyme as well as a bird.

Something Old (American cinquain)

hungry

white backed vulture

Old Mother Hubbard like

searching surrounding area

for bones

Below are two of my photographs of a white backed vulture taken in the Hluhluwe National Game Reserve in Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa.

Something New (American cinquain)

loeries

propagators

of seeds; gardeners like

Mary, Mary Quite Contrary

green birds

Picture caption: My photograph of a grey loerie in a tree. This is one of my garden residents.

Something Borrowed (tanka)

greater honeyguide

lays its eggs in foreign nests

bold brood parasite

runs away like Knave of Hearts

but she bypasses capture

Something Blue (tanka)

flash of brilliance

Little Boy Blue look alike

European roller

favours warm, open country

at home in meadows and fields

Picture caption: My photograph of a European roller in the Hluhluwe National Game Reserve. Can you say Hluhluwe?

Sixpence in Her Shoe (shadorma)

kingfisher

excavates tunnels

laying eggs

its treasure

better than a golden pear

or silver nutmeg

Picture caption: My photograph of a kingfisher in the Madikwe Game Reserve in South Africa.

Thursday Doors

Today I’m sharing photographs of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. You can join in Thursday Doors here:

This is what Wikipedia says about the Arc de Triomphe: https://nofacilities.com/2026/06/04/iowa-doors-2/

The Arc de Triomphe, is one of the most famous monuments in Paris, France. It is located at the western end of the Champs-Élysées, at the centre of the Place Charles de Gaulle—formerly known as the Place de l’Étoile—named for the star-shaped configuration formed by the convergence of twelve radiating avenues. The monument is situated at the intersection of three arrondissements: the 16th (to the south and west), the 17th (to the north), and the 8th (to the east). Commissioned to honor those who fought and died for France during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, the Arc bears the names of French victories and generals engraved on its inner and outer surfaces. Beneath its vault lies the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from World War I, marked by an eternal flame commemorating unidentified fallen soldiers.

Picture Caption: Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Roberta Writes – Tanka Tuesday, TDWC26, Esther Chilton’s Writing Challenge, CFFC, Bird of the Week, Sunday Stills and Thank you’s

Tanka Tuesday

Colleen’s challenge is to write a poem using homophones. You can join in here: https://tankatuesday.com/2026/05/19/first-sighting-tankatuesday-fun-with-homophones/

Gaining Wisdom (American cinquain)

learning

to wait, suss out

people and surroundings

assessment lends weight to future

choices

TDWC26 and Esther Chilton’s Writing Challenge

This is the last week of Dan’s TDWC26. I’ve used a photograph by Yvette Prior. You can join in here: https://nofacilities.com/thursday-doors-writing-challenge-2026/

Esther’s challenge for this week is eyes. As the glass inlets in the doors reminded me of eyes, I put the two challenges together. You can join in Esther’s challenge here: https://estherchilton.co.uk/2026/05/20/writing-prompts-115/

Picture caption: Photography submitted to Dan Antion’s TDWC26 by Yvette Prior.

I spy with my little eye …

something …

but what is it?

“A hartebeest,” says TC

“I disagree. It’s a common tsessebe.”

“A tess… a … what?“

“A tsessebe.”

“There’s no such creature!

Check on your phone.“

“Hmmm! AI says … it’s an elk.”

“What! You don’t get elk in South Africa.“

“I know that. Let me try a different picture.

“Now AI says its a mammal.”

“What kind of mammal?“

“AI doesn’t go into details. It’s just a mammal.”

“Useless AI. It’s having illusions.“

“Not really. A tsessebe is a mammal.”

The two sets of photographs below are of first a hartebeest and second a tsessebe. You can see how similar they look.

Bird of the Week

I took this photograph on Friday at Pilanesberg Game Reserve. TC and I were there for two days to celebrate his birthday which is tomorrow. It’s not the best of my photographs (TC was hogging my camera) but it was such a striking blue that I’m using it for this poem. It’s nice not having to work on a Friday in my new job. If I do have to work on a Friday, I get another day off at a later date so that is very nice for me.

You can join in Bird of the Week here: https://anotherglobaleater.wordpress.com/2026/05/19/indian-grey-hornbill-birds-of-the-week-invitation-clxix/

Picture caption: A striking Malachite Kingfisher in the dam at Pilanesberg Game Reserve

Malachite Kingfisher (freestyle poem)

Perching atop a reed

surveying its surrounds

Malachite kingfisher

Drops!

Splash!

Pops up with a struggling captive

small fish

grasped around its middle

Toss!

It flops

Into an open beak

Swallow!

Sunday Stills

Terri is showcasing babies this week for Sunday Stills. I just happened to have photographed a few babies at Pilanesberg this weekend.

You can join in Sunday Stills here: https://secondwindleisure.com/2026/05/24/sunday-stills-always-be-my-baby/

Two pictures of an adorable zebra foal.

Photographs of a giraffe foal. It’s main and coat are still ginger, the colouring of newborn giraffes.

Photographs of young kudus. These are adolescents.

CFFC

Dan is showcasing signs. I rarely photograph signs but this one at the lodge gave me a giggle. You can join in CFFC here: https://nofacilities.com/2026/05/18/leftover-signs/

Thank you!

Thank you to wonderful poet and author, Freya Pickard, who shared a wonderful review of my book, Burning Butterflies. You can read Freya’s review here: https://purehaiku.wordpress.com/2026/05/22/burning-butterflies/

A huge thank you to Sally Cronin from Smorgasbord Blog Magazine for showcasing an extract from my poetry book: Burning Butterflies. You can read Sally’s lovely post here: https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/2026/05/23/smorgasbord-book-promotions-2026-share-an-excerpt-boost-one-of-your-books-poetry-art-burning-butterflies-poetry-about-southern-african-flora-and-fauna-by-robbie-cheadle/

Roberta Writes – Tanka Tuesday and Bird of the Week

Tanka Tuesday and Bird of the Week

Melissa has provided a choice of a painting by Romare Bearden as inspiration for this week’s Tanka Tuesday poem. You can join in here: https://tankatuesday.com/2026/04/28/tankatuesday-poetry-challenge-no-62-romare-bearden-4-28-26/

This is the painting I chose:

Picture caption: Calm Sea by Romare Bearden

This is also my entry for Don’t Hold Your Breath blog’s Bird of the Week Challenge. You can join in here: https://anotherglobaleater.wordpress.com/2026/04/28/common-myna-birds-of-the-week-invitation-clxvi/

Southern Masked Weaver (Tanka)

reeds adorned with nests

stretching for miles and miles

Southern Masked Weaver

energetic males building

twenty five woven nests each

Southern Masked Weaver

Roberta Writes – Esther Chilton’s writing challenge, d’Verse quadrille and CFFC

Esther Chilton’s word prompt for this week is flying. You can join in here: https://estherchilton.co.uk/2026/02/04/word-prompts-2/

These two poems are also for Don’t Hold Your Breath blog’s Bird of the Week challenge here: https://anotherglobaleater.wordpress.com/2026/02/10/red-tailed-shrike-birds-of-the-week-invitation-cliv/

European Bee Eater

perched on a branch

watching

waiting

for its favourite meal

to fly past

a bee sighted

it opens

its richly coloured wings

and snatches it

right out of the air

delicious!

European Bee Eater (tanka)

bee captured midair

bashed mercilessly on branch

dislodging stinger

bee eater consumes hundreds

of insects during its lifetime

d’Verse – Flower Contrast(quadrille)

De Jackson (aka WhimsyGizmo)’s d’Verse quadrille challenge is to write a poem featuring flowers in exactly 44 words. You can join in here: https://dversepoets.com/2026/02/09/quadrille-241-swearing-by-all-flowers/

In the wetlands, the flowers are wild

Unexpected splashes of colour

Against olive or veridian green

Tasty treats for hungry kudu

***

At the Johannesburg Country Club

The flowers are cultivated

Carefully tended and fertilized

Resulting in large, ostentatious blooms

Aimed at decorating and impressing

The slideshow below includes 1. Flame Lillies in the Isimangaliso Wetlands 2. Male kudu eating in the Isimangaliso Wetlands 3. pink roses and the country club 4. red wild rose at the country club

CFFC

Dan’s challenge this week is inventions. You can join in here: https://nofacilities.com/2026/02/09/starting-with-inventions-cffc/

I’m sharing my photographs from Brussels of Neuhaus. This chocolatier claims to be the inventor of the praline.

The slideshow below includes pictures of Neuhaus in Brussels, Gallery Royal Saint Hubert, the inventors of the praline. I’ve also included my photograph of Neuhaus moulded in chocolate and also three large chocolate smurfs. Smurfs are very big in Brussels.