Roberta Writes – d’Verse, Bird of the Week, Tanka Tuesday, Thursday Doors, The Flower Hour

d’Verse, Tanka Tuesday, and Bird of the Week

Melissa’s challenge word for Quadrille Monday was xonolith. I incorporated it into my Bird of the Week poem, a chain shadorma (with some difficulty due to syllabic count and word count). You can join in d’Verse here: https://dversepoets.com/2026/09/07/quadrille-255-x-marks-the-spot/. Melissa is also the host of Tanka Tuesday where she challenged poets to write a seasonal pi-ku. You can join in here: https://tankatuesday.com/2026/09/08/tankatuesday-poetry-challenge-no-81-pi-ku-9-8-26/. I added mine to the end of my bird poem.

You can join in Bird of the Week here: https://anotherglobaleater.wordpress.com/2026/09/08/javan-pond-heron-birds-of-the-week-clxxxv/

Cape Robin-chat (shadorma chain with pi-ku)

xenolith

within flycatcher

family

bright breasted

Cape robin-chat hops about

tail angled upwards

***

I observed

songbird foraging

in a tree

plucking bark

from long suffering branches

home to many birds

***

squawking its

harsh, trisyllabic

alarm call

WA-dur-da

it departed speedily

tail stiff with distress

***

spring influx

birds

fill my garden

Well, that was enough poetic suffering, oops I mean creativity, for this week. Now on to some photographs …

Thursday Doors

These are some doors photographs from my trip to Paris in April. These photographs are of the Pont des Arts, Institut de France is located at one entry point of the bridge in Paris which crosses the River Seine. You can join in Thursday Doors here: https://nofacilities.com/2026/09/10/bbq-dam-lock-tour/

The Flower Hour

More beautiful wisteria photographs from this past week. They are starting to go off now so this will be the last of them. The purple irises benefited from the rain early this week and are plentiful and vivid.

You can join in The Flower Hour here: https://secondwindleisure.com/2026/09/08/the-flower-hour-47-can-you-ever-get-enough-sunflowers/

Roberta Writes: d’Verse, Tanka Tuesday, W3, Sunday Stills & The Flower Hour

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

Picture caption: a beautiful painting of boats on the water at sunset called **Egon Schiele, *Harbor of Trieste* (1907)**

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.

Picture caption: A cluster of four wisteria flowers against the garden wall.
A close up of a single wisteria flower. Its petals are white and purple.

Roberta Writes – W3 Poetry Challenge, d’Verse – Jump, Sunday Stills and Thursday Doors

David is this week’s host and he has asked poets to write about life changes as follows:

Sometimes life changes enough that something familiar becomes new again.

“Think of something you have experienced in the past, are experiencing now, or imagine experiencing in the future: doing an ordinary thing you have done many times before, but under changed circumstances that make it feel like a first time.”

You can join in here: https://skepticskaddish.com/2026/08/12/w3-prompt-224-weave-written-weekly/

The Same but Different

different

yet much the same

or the same

yet somewhat different

some differences

are better

others

are much worse

is this because

I am the same

and find adjusting

to what’s different

difficult

or is it because

I am different

and others like things

to remain the same

I hope

that what’s different

but definitely worse

can evolve

into something

different but better

and that

what’s essentially the same

but done differently

making it more tolerable

with not deteriorate

if not

my disillusionment

will remain the same

just in a different

environment

d’Verse: Jumpstart your poem

De Jackson’s prompt is to write a 44 word Quadrille using the word jump. You can join in here: https://dversepoets.com/2026/08/10/quadrille-353-jumpstart-your-poem/

During our trip to the Kruger National Park last week we had the tremendous good luck to see an African fish eagle landing on its nest. It was making its iconic call known as the Sound of Africa.

I am introducing my poem with a video of the cry of the African fish eagle.

Loud, haunting

the yodel-like call

disrupted the music

inside the vehicle

Sound of Africa

ringing forth

evocative and stirring

We jumped. Looked

Encircled by leafy branches

African fish eagle landed

on its messy nest

head thrown backwards

projecting the sound

far across the veld

Picture caption: African fish eagle landing on its nest. I love the encircling tree.

Picture caption: The typical calling posture of an African fish eagle with its head thrust forward.

Sunday Stills (again) and Thursday Doors

You can join in Thursday Doors here: https://nofacilities.com/2026/08/13/a-funny-thing-happened-on-the-way-to-the-cathedral/

You can join in Sunday Stills here: https://secondwindleisure.com/2026/08/09/sunday-stills-monthly-color-challenge-yellow-hues-featuring-ochre-and-saffron/

Picture caption: This large safari vehicle has doors. The reason I took the photograph though was the little silhouette on top of the cab. What could it be?

The little creature on top of the cab in the vehicle photograph is a vervet monkey. This are adorable but also little terrorists who will steal very efficiently and effectively. This one had just pinched food out of the vehicle of a family of tourists. The family was quite shocked and horrified at having a bag of treats snatched out of the hands of a small child. Naughty it might be but it was so adorable with its look of complete innocence as it ate its treat.

Vervet monkey chewing on a treat. The monkey was turning towards me.

And for Terri’s golden Sunday Stills a few pictures of Borke’s Luck Potholes. We were so lucky with our timing and the mellow winter sun turned the rocky facings to gold. Have I mentioned that yellow is my favourite colour (grin!)

River running through the gorge. The rocky facings on the left are bathed in golden light.

Close up of the potholes in the rock with a small rapid flowing from the centre pothole. The surrounding cliffs are bathed in golden light

Roberta Writes: d’Verse, Esther Chilton’s Writing Challenge, CFFC and Thursday Doors

d’Verse

Merril’s d’Verse challenge is But no, a butterfly and you can read the prompt and join in here: https://dversepoets.com/2026/08/04/poetics-but-no-a-butterfly/

Lost opportunity (freestyle)

The antelope stood

pondering the clouded yellow

of the early morning

Stray rays of sunshine

turned his coat

a lustrous copper

Making it shimmer

in the pale light

Stealthily

I reached for my camera

hoping to capture

the glory of the moment

Sadly

a velvet rose

peeping from behind a bush

caught the eye

of the hungry creature

It moved

and the opportunity

was lost

Esther Chilton’s Writing Challenge

Esther’s writing challenge prompt this week is test. You can join in here: https://estherchilton.co.uk/2026/08/05/writing-prompts-125/

Life Tests (haibun)

When I was a girl of nine, I contracted chicken pox. Within a week, my three younger sisters also went down with the virus. There were no vaccinations for chicken pox back then and Laura, aged one year old, and I were both very sick. I remember the day before the spots broke out in support of my claim of feeling unwell. It was a Saturday so we were all at home. I lay on a bean bag in the family room in a patch of winter sunshine feeling to ill to even read. My mother brought me a chicken mayonnaise sandwich at lunchtime but I could not eat it. Not even a bite. She was annoyed when she saw the untouched sandwich and said I was naughty to not eat it. She didn’t believe me when I said I was nauseous. On reflection, its strange that she didn’t believe me as I was never fussy about food and a chicken mayonnaise sandwich was a treat. I’ve never forgotten that she didn’t believe me. A day or two later, I came out in the tell tale rash and Mom knew I had chicken pox. One by one, the other children got sick and came out in rashes. The rash was itchy and I had to lie in a bath with Epsom Salts a few times a day to help sooth my skin which has always been ultra sensitive. We were all warned not to scratch the rash as that would leave scars. The only good thing I remember about this period is that I missed all the end of term tests for my grade. I was given an exemption from writing the tests due to contagious illness. I still have a few white scars along my hairline as testimony to my having had chickenpox. I never liked chicken mayonnaise sandwiches after this and still don’t ever eat them.

An interesting thing about this episode of childhood illness is that Mom never got chickenpox. We all assumed she’d had this virus as a child. A few years ago, my mother contracted chicken pox at the age of eighty four. This illness was a real test of her resilience and she had to be hospitalised for a few days. Her skin was yellow and she looked like a dried pear. It’s amazing that she cared for four sick children and never picked up the illness. Her resistance must have been good at the time.

white chickenpox scars

reminders of misery

days of nausea

CFFC

Dan’s CFFC challenge is to pair white with any other colour. Here are a few of my photographs featuring white and another colour. You can join in here: https://nofacilities.com/2026/08/03/paired-with-white-cffc/

Zebra foal with white stripes on its black body.

A snowy wood with white snow on a brown tree trunk.

Thursday Doors

Dan has featured the Japanese Room for his Thursday Doors post so I am staying with the Japan theme and sharing two doors/gates I saw in Japan in December 2024. You can join in here: https://nofacilities.com/2026/08/06/japanese-room/

Picture caption: The Akasaka Imperial Gardens front gate in Tokyo

Picture caption: Heavy wooden gates of a Bhuddist temple in Tokyo

Roberta Writes – d’Verse, care quadrille and light and truth of painting, Thursday Doors and The Flower Hour

d’Verse

I wrote for two d’Verse challenges this week but didn’t find time to post my poems until today.

The quadrille about care if for Sanaa’s prompt here: https://dversepoets.com/2026/07/27/q-252-quadrilling-without-a-care-in-the-world/

The second poem is for Melissa’s prompt here: https://dversepoets.com/2026/07/28/launch-light-and-truth-of-painting/. I did choose my own Henri Rousseau artwork though.

Care Worn

For many

marriage ends our carefree days

Financial obligations mount

as we work relentlessly

towards building a home

Children introduce

financial and emotional cares

We teach and guide

these precious young souls

Beflore they fly

aging parents bring

new responsibilities

The circle of duty

Pink Flamingo (shadorma)

giraffe bird

decked in shades of pink

flamboyant

featherhead

thoughtfully contemplating

fish filled waterway

Henri Rousseau painting featuring a bright pink flamingo with its long neck angled down to the ground. The bird is in a lovely garden filled with flowers.

My Mind

constantly in motion

ebbing and flowing

like the oceantides

I like to keep it

well fed with books

and other fodder

I’m afraid

if I don’t

it may fall back

on itself

and consume me

I wrote this poem today after sorting through my work week in my head. It was a good week. I got a lot done. My young colleague told me on Thursday afternoon just before I left for the week that she was exhausted. She also got a lot done because I give delivery dates for work that I then review. I think its a good thing the team has Friday’s to recover from my tyranny – haha! I am getting a 40 hour week’s worth of work done in 24 hours and that takes drive and determination.

Thursday Doors and The Flower Hour

Terri decided to suggest flowers in planters for The Flower Hour this week. Eeek! I don’t take many photographs of plants in planters. Then, I remembered the indoor conservatory in the delightful hotel TC and I stayed in in Paris. It is called Hotel Keppler and was very old fashioned and delightful. I also took photographs of some of the doors in the hotel so this is a double whammy for Dan’s Thursday Doors too.

You can join in Thursday Doors here: https://nofacilities.com/2026/07/30/austrian-room/

You can join in The Flower Hour here: http://secondwindleisure.com/2026/07/28/the-flower-hour-41-in-a-planter/

Hello, and welcome to Hotel Keppler.

TC in a red seater standing outside the Hotel Keppler with our luggage. — Picture caption: Bonjour TC. I like the red seater he’s wearing. I chose it!

Please take a seat in the guest lounge while we complete your check in. (Well, I got to sit, he had to stand at the desk and fill in forms.)

Picture caption: Guest lounge at the Hotel Keppler with a double glass door onto a small courtyard. — Picture caption: Guest lounge with double glass doors onto a small courtyard

Picture caption: tables and chairs on the other side of the guest lounge where you could order alcoholic drinks or, if you are me and brazen, Earl Grey tea in a teapot. The same double glass doors are in the background.

Two slightly different photographs of the indoor conservatory in the dining room of the Hotel Keppler. It was very pretty with lots of greenery and lovely flowers. The food was very good too.

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

Two ladies in costumes from the cast. They saw my taking photographs and posed for the camera.

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.
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.

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.
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.
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.

Roberta Writes – d’Verse, W3, CFFC, Bird of the Week, and Sunday Stills

Another crazy week has come to an end. My mother has had a terrible few weeks with blepharitis and severe eye pain. This condition, combined with her chronic dry eye has made her quality of life very poor. She’s been wearing a hat pulled right down over her eyes and the antibiotic cream made her practically blind. Very worrying for me from a fall risk point of view.

I took her to my optometrist at 7.30am this morning (she squeezed her in) and she now has a whole treatment plan to treat both chronic conditions. I’m hoping she will have no pain and be able to read again soon.

TC has also been in India for the last two weeks. He arrives home this afternoon. When he’s not home I have to do everything so life feels even busier than usual.

This is the main reason why my post is late this week but, as I always say, better late than never.

I’ve put a few challenges together again today.

d’Verse and W3

Nancy’s prompt is to write a poem in four-stanzas with eight syllables per line about a hard-earned accomplishment. You can join in here: https://skepticskaddish.com/2026/06/17/w3-prompt-216-weave-written-weekly/

Lillian’s Tuesday d’Verse challenge is Get out your crayons and come colour with me. You can join in here: https://dversepoets.com/2026/06/16/get-out-your-crayons-and-come-color-with-me/

I’ve been learning colour theory for my painting. I am very happy with the results and will share a new painting incorporating my new skills soon. In the meantime, here is a poem about colour theory.

Splat and that

world of colour theory opens

mixing and matching a great game

drop of red enhances golden

tones that ignite into bright flame

***

splashing orange into umber

instills richness into brown

change like wakefulness from slumber

remarkable shade turnaround

***

smear of scarlet into China white

uplifts it to the palest pink

now white painted sections look right

retraining mind on how to think

***

Van Dyke brown enhanced with light blue

brings a greater deepness to dark

eye perceives subtle change in hue

enriched pigment resets benchmark

d’Verse and Bird of the Week

De Jackson’s prompt is to write a quadrille (44 word poem) about a myth. You can join in here: https://dversepoets.com/2026/06/15/quadrille-250-mything-poems/

You can join in Bird of the Week here: https://anotherglobaleater.wordpress.com/2026/06/16/egyptian-goose-birds-of-the-week-invitation-clxxiii/

My poem is about the myths surrounding the African Fish Eagle which I was privileged to see on my recent bush trip.

The Messenger

know as the ‘Voice of Africa’

its iconic yodeling cry

trails across the blue sky

like condensation from planes

African fish eagle

steeped in mythology and folklore

revered in Bantu and Shona traditions

as its carries messages

between the heavens

and the earthly realm

My photographs of the African fish eagle

Sunday Stills and CFFC

Dan’s CFFC challenge is green. You can join in here: https://nofacilities.com/2026/06/15/the-crayola-box-of-8-green-cffc/

Terri’s Sunday Still’s challenge is also green. You can join in here: https://secondwindleisure.com/2026/06/14/sunday-stills-monthly-color-challenge-exploring-evergreen-and-wonder-in-the-great-outdoors/

These pictures are typical of the South African bush during autumn (except for the Country Club one).

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 – d’Verse, TDWC26, Sunday Stills, The Flower Hour, and Thursday Doors

After six weeks of sabbatical, I am starting a new job on Monday. I’m glad I was able to see Paris over Easter and nurse my mother and Michael through the new Flu B. It is a reduced hours job so I’ll see how that goes. Wish me luck.

d’Verse, TDWC26, Sunday Stills, and The Flower Hour

Restless Jo provided a delightful photograph for Dan’s TDWC26. This yellow, blue and white house was the initial inspiration for my haibun below. You can join Dan’s challenge here: https://nofacilities.com/thursday-doors-writing-challenge-2026/

Punam from d’Verse provided some artworks as inspiration for her Poetics Tuesday: What art says challenge. You can join in here: https://dversepoets.com/2026/05/12/poetics-tuesday-what-art-says/

Terri’s Sunday Stills challenge is pastels. My Primrose antique doll and the flowers in the background are pastels. The flowers are for Terri’s The Flower Hour challenge too.

You can join in Sunday Stills here: https://secondwindleisure.com/2026/05/10/sunday-stills-monthly-color-challenge-pink-and-pastels/

You can join in The Flower Hour here: https://secondwindleisure.com/2026/05/12/the-flower-hour-30-camellia-a-little-closer/

A Fresh Coat of Paint (haibun)

Picture caption: Yellow, blue, and white house photograph contributed by Restless Jo

Primrose looked at her freshly painted home with satisfaction. Arthur had recently finished reading a first edition of Tom Sawyer. He’d been so inspired he’d volunteered to give her dolls house home a fresh look. It looked terrific. Its yellow, blue, and white walls sparkled under the bright display lights of the antique children’s books and toys room.

She glanced at the tapestry on the opposite wall. The dark yellow room was exquisitely sew with careful, even stitches. She liked the wall hanging and it helped to keep the room warm and snug. Museums were drafty. She was glad she had her delightful dolls house to live in and her home wasn’t merely a 2D dream.

rainbow dreams elude

bricks and mortar evidence

my reality

Picture caption: Art inspiration provided by Punam

Click on the bar to view Primrose, an antique doll form Faversham in England, with a background of roses I received for Mothers Day last Sunday. A little past their prime but they are still pretty … and pastel. You will also see Arthur, a vintage doll from Graaf Reinet in South Africa.

Thursday Doors

These are a few more random photographs form my short trip to Paris over Easter.

The two images above are of the moving walkway in the Paris Airport (Charles de Gaulle). It was very long and there wasn’t another soul in sight. For me, it was a little creepy as it was my first time in this airport. I was glad to see the door at the end of the walkway coming into sight.

Roberta Writes – d’Verse: Haibun Monday & Esther Chilton’s Writing Challenge

d’Verse: Monday Haibun

Frank’s haibun challenge is to write about silence. You can join in here: https://dversepoets.com/2026/04/27/haibun-monday-4-27-26-silence/

I’ll Take It – haibun

I cherish the near silence of the early mornings, suffering the rasping cough of the kettle just long enough to make a welcome cup of tea. Outside the window, a garden bird twitters and the hadedas screech their ode to the dawn. In a world that worships noise, my love of silence is just another characteristic that differentiates me from my family and colleagues. I’ll take it.

office hum

enhanced by white noise

my ears ring

Esther Chilton’s Writing Challenge

Esther’s challenge word for this week is Mobile. You can join in here: https://estherchilton.co.uk/2026/04/22/writing-prompts-112/

What a Feeling – haibun

When I was a girl, children had a lot more freedom than they do now. My little sister, Cath, and I used to go out and about on our own. We both had bicycles so we had the option of riding or we walked, depending on where we were going. When I was in Grade 3 at primary school, roller skates came into fashion. The roller skates then took the form of a boot with four wheels on the bottom. The wheels were spaced out more like the wheels on a vehicle and were attached to a chassis-styled frame on the bottom of the boot, unlike the modern roller skates which are more like ice skates with wheels.

Cath and I both received a pair of roller skates for Christmas that year and I spent the rest of the December / January school holiday learning how to skate. I soon go the hang of swinging my legs correctly to enable forward motion and quickly learned to add arm movement to go faster. I learned to do spins and turns and how to skate backwards. It was an obsession for me and I spent hours practicing. As time passed, I started creating dances on skates to music. I’d set my small cassette recorder up on my bedroom windowsill and practice skating to my favourite soundtracks. The theme song to Flashdance was the track I liked the best and remember practicing my skating dance over and over to that song on repeat. Thankfully, Dad was out working during the day when I practiced so he didn’t complain about the endless refrain of ‘What a feeling’.

Skate dancing to Flashdance is one of my best memories and it was this process of mastering motion on roller skates that taught me I could learn to do anything if I set my mind to it.

freedom in movement

flowing like a waterfall

my spirit flying

CFFC – Something that took you higher

You can join in Dan’s CFFC challenge here: https://nofacilities.com/2026/04/27/view-from-something-that-took-you-higher-cffc/

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Thursday Doors

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Esther Chilton’s Writing Challenge

What a Feeling – haibun

CFFC – Something that took you higher

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