Roberta Writes – Esther Chilton’s Writing Prompt & CFFC & Sunday Stills

Esther Chilton’s prompt word for this week is DRIVE. You can join in here: https://estherchilton.co.uk/2026/02/11/writing-prompts-102/

I’ve written a Tanka Peunte poem.

Racing Snake

bumper to bumper

three lines snake in; three snake out

not driving – waiting!

constricting coils draw tighter

consideration turns blue

“Drive slow and enjoy the scenery, drive fast and join the scenery.” – Douglas Horton

black mamba slithers

along highway; racing dusk

tyres just touching

asphalt spun out like ribbon

driving with abandonment

CFFC

Dan’s prompt this week is gadgets and gismos. You can join in here: https://nofacilities.com/2026/02/16/gizmos-and-gadgets-cffc/

Picture caption: This is Michael as a baby with a lot of gizmos and gadgets you get for small children

Sunday Stills

Terri’s Sunday Still’s challenge is sweet. These are photographs of early cake and other sweet creations I made for parties for my sons.

You can join in the challenge here: https://secondwindleisure.com/2026/02/15/sunday-stills-simple-and-sweet/

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/

Picture caption: My photograph of a European bee eater at 57 Waterberg, Welgevonden Private Game Reserve

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.