Category: W3

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

Kim at d’Verse challenged poets to write an acrostic poem using someone’s name. When I read here post here: https://dversepoets.com/2026/03/19/meeting-the-bar-tell-me-your-name/ I realised there is a lot more to this form than I have previously believed. I embraced it and wrote two acrostic poems.

The first is for Dennis’ W3 challenge to write about a lighthouse. The first letters form the words Mother Love. You can join in here: https://skepticskaddish.com/2026/03/18/w3-prompt-203-weave-written-weekly/.

The second poem forms the name of my oldest son, Gregory, who graduated from University with Honours in Mathematics this week (with distinction). He is working as a tutor at the University while he does a Masters in Homological Mathematics. This poem is for the d’Verse challenge. Thank you, Kim!

I have also written a micro poem which is between the two poems and about my son.

Mother Love (for W3)

My son, you have made me so proud. It’s an

Outstanding achievement to pass Honours with distinction. Now,

There you are on the threshold of an exciting new life. I

Hope your hard work and dedication will serve you well. You are so

Ernest in your quest to find meaning in your life. Your

Resolve to help others up the education ladder makes you a

Lighthouse in the lives of those less gifted than you. You turn the

Ordinary into something brighter and better. You are calm and never

Vexed when things don’t go your way. This quality makes you quite

Extraordinary in addition to your unusual mind and abilities.

my best qualities

in your hands have become a

lighthouse in the dark

Gregory (for d’Verse)

Guidance kindly provided in your

Responses to your students. You are

Exceptional in your patience. Ready to

Guide others on their way and help

Overcome obstacles along the

Road to success: Yours and other peoples.

You are a wonderful teacher and person

Thursday Doors

This is the door to the Great Hall where the graduation takes place. It is from last year. We were later arriving this year so I couldn’t get as good a picture due to the crowds. You can join in Thursday Doors here: https://nofacilities.com/2026/03/19/polish-room-announcement/

These are some pictures from the graduation (click on the slideshow to see the pictures).

Roberta Writes – d’Verse, W3 and Thursday Doors

It’s been a bad week. I ended up resigning from my job yesterday. It is time but its been a hard decision because there are a lot of people I like at the firm and I know they need me. This is my ninth and final resignation. But the cemeteries of the world are filled with indispensable people so the firm will go on. It will just be that much harder for the people I like and respect.

My week reflects in the poem I’ve written for d’Verse Open Link hosted by Bjorn. You can join in here: https://dversepoets.com/2026/02/12/open-link-401-and-february-live/

Vampirism

the more you give

the more some people take

attaching themselves

like starving leeches

gorging on your life blood

becoming fat and bloated

greed waxing into laziness

while you diminish

energy drained

passion destroyed

reduced to a breathing corpse

Then, they spit you out

moving on to exploit

the next high performer

W3

Svenja’s prompt: Haiga. You can join in here: https://skepticskaddish.com/2026/02/11/w3-prompt-198-weave-written-weekly/

The theme is  “Let the overall theme reflect the long-awaited shift from winter to spring.”

South African weather is very different to Northern hemisphere weather. We get no rain for over six months during the winter period and as we exit winter, it gets incredibly hot and dry before the rains come in late October or early November.

My photograph is of a beautiful red rose after a rainstorm.

scorching sun

wilted flowers dream

of spring rain

Thursday Doors

For Dan’s Thursday Doors, I am sharing a video of a building I made in Brussels. The video shows a building with all the doors and windows. The fascinating aspect of this building is that its decorated with bicycles painted in the primary colours.

I am sharing this for my talented artist and dress designer blogging friend, Resa. You can find Resa’s amazing art blog here: https://graffitiluxandmurals.com/2025/01/04/skart/. This post by Resa, titled Skart, features some amazing skateboard art and a poem about skateboarding written by me.