Thank you to Nolcha from Chewers by Masticadores for publishing my poem, Postcard from the other side.
I am going to the bush tomorrow for a long weekend so I won’t be around much.
Category: Uncategorized
Roberta Writes – The story of the Pink Panther for Esther Chilton’s writing challenge and Reena’s Xploration Challenge #378 #prose #poetry
Esther Chilton’s writing challenge this week is toys. You can join in here: https://estherchilton.co.uk/2025/04/23/writing-prompts-62/
Reena’s creative writing challenge this week is creative non-fiction. You can join in here: https://reinventionsreena.wordpress.com/2025/04/24/reenas-xploration-challenge-378
This piece fits both topics perfectly.
The Story of the Pink Panther
When I was a young girl I did not like to knit. I like to sew. I liked sewing so much that I designed an entire wardrobe for my younger sisters and my Barbie and Cindy dolls. I also hand sewed a dress for myself with a dropped waist and a frill around the bottom of the skirt. I liked to create. I created a dolls house out of a wooden tomato box and decorated it with doors, windows with views, and curtains all cut out of old magazines. But, I did not like to knit.
Unfortunately, the nuns thought that all young ladies should know how to knit. Not just passably. Oh no, they wanted us to knit well. To this end they ceaselessly gave us knitting tasks of greater complexity involving adding and dropping stitches, measuring, changing pearl stitch to garter stich and vice versa. They even made us learn ribbing and how to turn the heel of a sock. Oh, the incredible unkindness of it all to a girl who hated knitting.
The last knitting assignment I had was to knit a Pink Panther. The toy in question was not small. No, it was an significant trial of knitting reaching a height of 60 centimetres … if you followed the pattern. The assignment did not, however, give a required size for the horrid task. It provided a pattern and said a knitted Pink Panther had to be handed in on a certain date.
I left it and left it. Suddenly, it was the day before the knitting assignment was due. I spent the entire morning at school contemplating different ways of managing the disaster. Mom wouldn’t let me stay at home the following day and even if she did, I couldn’t do all that knitting in one day. And then inspiration struck.
When I got home I went straight to my room and got started knitting. I knitted and knitted and by the early evening, the Pink Panther parts were made. After dinner, I sewed the toy together and stuffed it. I sewed on the face. By bed time I was finished. I had a perfectly knitted and stuffed, 15 centimetre high Pink Panther. The pattern divided perfectly by 4.
The following year, the instructions were amended to include a required size of 60 centimetres. I still regard this as one of my greatest school triumphs. I wasn’t even marked down. Sister Agatha knew when she was outwitted.
Tiny pink toy
Creative thinking triumphs
Earned a perfect score
Roberta Writes – Repost Poetry Treasures 5 blog tour links #poetry #anthology
Thank you to Barbara Harris Leonhard for sharing this post with all the links to the Poetry Treasures 5 book blog tour.
Thank you to Kaye Lynne Booth for hosting the book tour, to all the contributors for all your support and to Teagan Geneviene for the beautiful cover.
Roberta Writes – Book reviews: The Rat in the Python Fashion by Alex Craigie and Dewdrops on the Soul: Poetry you will love by Dwight Roth #bookreviews
Today, I have reviews of two delightful books for you.
The Rat in the Python Fashion
What Amazon says
If you haven’t heard of a liberty bodice, believe that half-a-crown is something to do with impoverished royalty and never had the experience of slapping a television to stop the grainy black and white picture from rolling, then this series might not be for you. Please give it a go, though – I suspect that most of it will still resonate no matter where you were brought up!
Book 3 looks at fashion and how it’s changed since the end of WWII. From utility coats and twinsets, to schoolboys in short trousers with socks and garters. From the swinging sixties with its long, long hair and short, short skirts, to psychedelia and beyond.
The Rat in the Python is about Baby Boomers who, in the stability following the Second World War, formed a statistical bulge in the population python. It is a personal snapshot of a time that is as mystifying to my children as the Jurassic Era – and just as unrecognisable.
My review
I realised when I came to write this review that this is book 3 and I have skipped out book 2. They don’t have to be read in order so it doesn’t matter, but book 2 should not be missed as this is a terrific series.
This fascinating short read covers fashion in the UK from WWII to the current date. It actually even goes a little bit further back in the beginning with some interesting comments about fashion during the Edwardian era and I am very thankful that I never had to wear a corset. Being long waisted, this would have been really awful for me. Edwardian women did, however, look very sophisticated with their gorgeous hats and long skirted, tight waisted dresses.
With regards to fashion during WWII, this book reinforced a lot of information I had heard from my mother about the lack of buttons, silk stockings and other niceties and how girls found innovative ways of dealing with this problem. To quote: “Women dealt with the latter issue by painting their legs with special product or using gravy browning and getting a friend to draw a line down the back of the leg with an eyebrow pencil to resemble the seam.”
This book takes the reader on a journey through the austerity of the post war continuing rationing fashion scene when people dressed very formally but frugally with shirts that had replaceable collars and cuffs and continues to the modern ‘throw away’ society. The current culture in the UK is actually vastly different from here in South Africa where women still dress fairly conservatively and most certainly do not buy cheap clothing that is thrown away rather than washed. Poverty is still a big issue in Africa, but perhaps this is better than the consumeristic habits of the developed world that add so much to plastic and global warming problems. I found the changing trends in this regard discussed in this book to be thought provoking.
The book includes lots of interesting photographs and pictures to demonstrate the fashion statements made and is really a wonderful undertaking to preserve the history of fashion in the UK. An interesting and worthwhile read.
Purchase The Rat in the Python Fashion by Alex Craigie from Amazon US here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0995696675
Dewdrops on the Soul: Poetry you will love by Dwight Roth
What Amazon says
Poetry must speak to the soul if it is to be remembered. The poems in this book are written in readable verse that is easily understood by the reader, yet challenging and thought provoking. Along with the poems are beautiful original color photos taken by the author that are used to enhance the poems. In addition to photos there are also original paintings done by the author.
Poems in this collection are inspired by nature, nostalgia, and reflections on the meaning of life.
The author has published a poetry blog on Word Press since 2016 which you can view at. rothpoetry.wordpress.com
This is a great book to spend time getting lost in as you peruse through the many poems included here.
My review
This is the first collection of poetry and flash fiction I’ve read by Dwight Roth and it was a complete delight.
The poet has a wonderfully positive outlook on life and this reflects in every word he writes. The poems and prose pieces in this book made me feel happy and uplifted and you just can’t beat that feeling. The book also includes some wonderful paintings by the poet, photographs from his childhood and adult life, as well as some innovative handmade creations include what he termed to be a Jackleg guitar. Not a term I have heard before but it seems to fit this wonderfully artistic musical instrument.
I really enjoyed all the poems but a few standout ones for me were as follows: A Call for Change, Dad, Pop’s Garden, Red Bellied Woodpecker, Digital Wolly Worm, Night Train, Dandelion Stars, Trigger, Love and Cherry Delight, Family Memories, Where do you Belong? and Proud Vulnerability.
I highly recommend this beautiful collection and will leave you with the poem I loved the best as I also love and appreciate the beauty of dandelions.
Dandelion Stars
“Aging flower wild and free
Sunny yellow color gone
Silver stars cover its head
reflecting sunlight
Beautiful seeds waiting for the breeze
Like Nature’s poetry
Blowin’ in the Wind across our minds
Beauty for some
Weeds for others
Daylight stars waiting
to be appreciated”
You can purchase Dewdrops on the Soul: Poetry you will love by Dwight Roth from Amazon US here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0DT86WRW2
Roberta Writes – d’Verse Poetics Fated and Thursday Doors #poetry #photography
Merril has asked poets to write about fate. This is a concept that intrigues me greatly. I have no answers for you, but I have some questions for your consideration. You can join in here: https://dversepoets.com/2025/04/22/poetics-fated/
Science or dice roll
Is it just chance or
Are spirits allocated?
To new fetuses
How is a young life’s future
Determined at the onset?
“Just because Fate doesn’t deal you the right cards, it doesn’t mean you should give up. It just means you have to play the cards you get to their maximum potential.” Les Brown
It is all science?
Destiny not a concept
To which blame can be assigned
Do we forge our life’s pathways
All choices on our own heads?
Thursday Doors
I haven’t posted for Thursday Doors for a few weeks. I didn’t feel like thinking about past holidays when I firstly had surgery looming and then was recovering from a four-hour surgery that involved more than I had expected. I am more or less okay now, so I feel ready to revisit our trip to a private game reserve in Kwa-Zulu Natal in early January 2025.
You can join in Thursday Doors here: https://nofacilities.com/2025/04/24/mt-washington-pa-2/
First the doors:
And now for the babies we saw:
Roberta Writes – In Touch With Nature: Cheetahs, why are they so fast? #cheetahs #southernafrican #wildlife
Thank you to Kaye Lynne Booth for hosting In Touch With Nature. This month I am discussing why cheetahs are the world’s fasted land mammal.
Roberta Writes – Esther Chilton’s writing challenge and a d’Verse quadrille #poetry
Esther’s weekly challenge is green. You can join in here: https://estherchilton.co.uk/2025/04/16/writing-prompts-61/
Esther also very kindly hosted a guest post about my new poetry collection, Burning Butterflies, on her blog. I meant to reblog it here but accidently reposted to my art blog – oops. Anyhow, thank you so much Esther. You can read the post here: https://estherchilton.co.uk/2025/04/18/guest-writer-spot-165/
Esther is also offering to host poets and writers with a guest spot. She is a delightful host.
The Green-eyed Monster
When I was a girl of ten years old, my family moved from Cape Town to George, a largely Afrikaans speaking town in the Western Cape. I was enrolled in a small convent school as it was English speaking and Catholic. George, a small countrified town, was rather laid back and many of the children started school a year later than average. I was already a year younger than average, so this resulted in my being two years younger than most of my peer group. It was a difficult time for me. Ten and eleven versus twelve and thirteen is big at those particular ages. I was still keen on my dolls and Anne of Green Gables. The older girls were interested in boys and movies like Grease. I was a little girl, and they had boobs and hips.
There was one girl who I thought was incredibly pretty. Her name was also lovely. Kirsten, so much prettier than Robbie. Kirsten had long blonde hair that fell in a sheet to below her bottom. She was thirteen and had a mature figure. I was green with envy of this girl and wished I could be just like her. In retrospect, I was ridiculous. I came from a progressive family and Dad was always supportive. He thought his girls could be anything they wanted to be, and he encouraged me with all sorts of sophisticated books on art, history, and sculpture. We were not wealthy, but we always had a comfortable home and good clothes. Poor Kirsten had much older parents as she was a ‘laat lammetjie’ (late lamb). They were ultra conservative, and she was being raised to take on the traditional role of a housewife and mother. She made all her own clothes and never had anything modern or fashionable. I didn’t understand these things as a girl. I only saw the long hair, large eyes, and curvy figure, all things I would have loved to have. I sometimes wonder what happened to Kirsten.
Envy is
The green-eyed monster
Desiring
Long, blonde hair
I wished to be different
Such a silly girl
D’Verse Quadrille #222
Punam’s d’Verse Quadrill prompt is as follows:
“Today’s challenge is to write a poem of exactly 44 words (don’t falter on the word count) including the word alter in it. You can use any word that has alter in it. No form restrictions, no syllable counting, no strict rule for rhyming. The only thing that remains unalterable is the the 44 word rule (excluding the title).”
The following idea came immediately to mind. I had this conversation again recently with my physiotherapist.
No Alternatives
People say “You are strong
Face your family’s health issues
With courage and determination
Shoulder your burdens”
What do they mean? I wonder
What other options are available?
“You could drink or take drugs.”
Interesting suggestions
I don’t consider them to be
Great alternatives
Here are two ‘green’ pictures that I took this weekend.
Roberta writes – repost: What is a Window on Chewers by Masticadores
Thank you to Nolcha Fox for sharing my poem, What is a window. On Chewers by Masticadores.
Roberta Writes – d’Verse Poetic Tuesday: Busted #poetry
Thank you to Lisa for this fun prompt as follows:
I took a bunch of pictures of the busts yesterday and have included several of them here (please click on the images to enlarge them.) Your challenge, if you choose to accept it, gives you two options:
a) Create a sculpture (or bust) of yourself. Use any materials – real or imagined – using the guidelines within Victoria’s 2012 prompt.
b) Write an ekphrastic poem using one of the included busts. If you choose this option, please make sure you include artist attribution on your blog.
You can join in here: https://dversepoets.com/2025/04/15/dverse-poetics-tuesday-busted/
Memory Cake
dough is soft
squishy and sticky
flour coated fingers
knead and knead
gradually,
it becomes smooth
stretchy like elastic
split and rolled
into several balls
it’s ready for colouring
power, never liquid
each ball takes on
a new vibrancy
shades of pink, green,
purple, blue, and flesh
red and black are last
mucky and messy
hands stained purple
shaping and moulding
sharp tools cutting,
carving, and nipping
faces take shape
eyes, noses, mouths
hair: ringlets or straight
mother and children
flowers and vines
vision takes shape
memory cake for the future
young mother washing
while working from home
children on-line learning
in sunny backyard
Covid 19 encapsulated
in fondant and cake
Roberta Writes – Book review: A Life in Frames by Leonora Ross #bookreview #bookcommunity
What Amazon says
A photojournalist consumed by his passion for telling stories through his camera lens, a father and son at a war of wills, and lovers struggling to find a way to each other.
A Life in Frames follows the life of Namibian photojournalist Lejf Busher as he navigates through childhood and manhood in this coming-of-age literary saga. Two women are central to Lejf’s existence: his mother and the woman he loves. Destined for success and international acclaim, he discovers the complex reality of a career that separates him from his relationships. His mother is a beacon of strength, but he feels unsupported by his father. Lejf wants that acceptance. He also longs to succeed romantically with his great love, but her own search for independence and escape from a conservative upbringing widens the distance between them. Lejf’s expectations of a world and people he cannot change force him to confront his fears and choices when he can no longer run from them.
A Life in Frames is about the push and pull between the ties that bind us and the desires that motivate us. It is also about coming to grips with the consequences of unspoken and misinterpreted words.
My review
I reviewed this book in my capacity as a member of Rosie’s Book Review Team. If you would like your book reviewed, you can contact Rosie Amber here: http://rosieamber.wordpress.com/.
I was attracted to this book for two reasons: It is set in Namibia and it focuses on photography. As a South African with a passion for wildlife photography I knew I would enjoy reading a story set in our neighbouring country of Namibia and I also knew there must be a focus on wildlife photography. I was correct on both counts and I loved the beautiful descriptions of the main character’s, Lejf Busher, home in a small town in Namibia and his trips into the bush to discover amazing photographic opportunities. I related completely to Lejf’s love for his country and its wildlife and people. The author described the small town attitudes of the people who surround Lejf as a child, including his father, with a sharp pen, and I enjoyed the disruptions to their thinking caused by Lejf’s mother, a Swede with an open-minded European mindset. The scenes about a book about sex, written by Lejf’s mother to teach her five sons about women, and its making the rounds of the town’s people made me laugh. It would be like that here in conservative South African towns too.
Lejf’s father’s lack of support of his son’s choice of career also rang true for me, having experienced this attitude of creative careers being unreliable as pay cheque jobs in my own family. The clashes between Lejf and his father over many things were well portrayed and realistic. A conservative farmer from a small Namibian town would react to a dramatic and creative personality like Lejf’s with concern and a lack of understanding. The author has a very initiate understanding of small town people in southern Africa.
This is a coming of age story and follows Lejf’s life from a boy of ten into later adulthood. It beautifully depicts a man driven by deep empathy for the first nation people of this planet who have been displaced and their way of life decimated by interlopers. There is a great tragedy and sadness in the scenes of Lejf’s visits to these people and places. The author must have first hand experience of such peoples and places and has done a lot of research.
In summary, this is a beautifully written book filled with thought provoking and interesting scenes and well worth reading. It is literary fiction and the pace is slow and considered so it is aimed at a certain readership.
A Life in Frames is available from Amazon USA here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1069082805
And through Amazon UK here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Life-Frames-Leonora-Ross-ebook/dp/B0DW2Q8WNY
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