Esther’s writing challenge for this week is Funny Moments. You can join in here: https://estherchilton.co.uk/2025/03/19/writing-prompts-57/

New Blood

What a hoot

There is new blood

In fourth year at Uni

Competition

In the form of a young man

From an opposition university

This youngster and my son

Both chose challenging

Research projects

Both have double supervisors

One of Greg’s

If from Milan, Italy

He thinks this gives him

An edge

Over a double local package

But

The competition

Has four subjects for both

The first and second blocks

Greg had four and three

So, he’s signed up for

An additional course

Naturally the most difficult

On the list of electives

There is nothing like a little

Competition

To stir the blood

And make a young man work

“Well, Mom,” he said

In response to my enquiry

“I’m not going to be upstaged

by a usurper from Pretoria”

Reviews for Sunflower Tanka

Thank you to Barbara Harris Leonhard for this insightful review of Sunflower Tanka: https://extraordinarysunshineweaver.blog/2025/03/24/barbs-wordy-blurbs-sunflower-tanka-by-robbie-cheadle-colleen-m-chesebro/

Thank you to contributor, Chris Hall, for her lovely review of Sunflower Tanka on Facebook here:

Sunflower Tanka: An Anthology Tanka, Tanka Prose, & Experimental Tanka – edited by Robbie Cheadle & Colleen M. Chesebro

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What a gorgeous collection with so many poets who I know, including myself. It is such a beautiful book (well done, Robbie) and I am glad that I got the paperback, as well as the Kindle.

There are almost 140 poems in this wonderful collection. The 36 poets are from all around the globe: from the USA, UK, Mexico, South Africa, Uganda, Guyana, Portugal, Japan, Philippines, India, Australia and Italy. Isn’t it interesting, and even more so the way the various styles are incorporated. The different forms are the well-known 5-line tanka form, the tanka-prose and the rensaku, but also the less known are the experimental tanka, the garland tanka, and the tanka Puente, all good though.

I have read from cover to cover and picked around as well. Now, just to say, this has been a lovely experience – it’s ‘In the Light’!