Tag: poetry

Roberta Writes – Blog Book Tour: Fringes, Heartstrings and Lyrics by Jan Sikes

Thank you, Robbie, for allowing me to take over your blog and talk about my new book, Fringes, Heartstrings, and Lyrics.

Once I had the title for this collection, I knew the Lyrics section would need to be poems. As I thought about that, I wanted to include more than my own work. So, I spent hours combing through a folder of my late husband’s writings from the 1960s looking for things to share. I found much more than I had room for. Then, my fourteen-year-old-granddaughter began reading some of her poems to me as I drove her to dance classes, and I was compelled to include some of those as well.

Here is a teaser from each of us. I hope you enjoy!

I Am You – You Are Me by Jan Sikes

I don’t know how it came to be
That we, in spirit love were joined
Somewhere out in eternity
Then split apart like a germinating seed
And placed on earth, each other to seek

Angels Are Perfect by Rick Sikes

The snow falls, and I am plagued with loneliness
As much as any man can possess
But my mind strays to bright summer days
When I knew your fond caress

Society by Sidney Klein

Welcome to society
We hope you enjoy your stay
You can do anything you want
As long as you do it our way

Picture caption: Cover of Fringes, Heartstrings and Lyrics by Jan Sikes

Book Blurb

At the edge of the world, and the center of the heart, you’ll find stories that linger.

Fringes explores dystopian futures where survival is uncertain and hope is fragile. In  A Foreign World, The Forgotten, and Yearning for Paradise, humanity is pushed to its limits.

Heartstrings turns toward the warmth of love, resilience, and second chances. Stories such as A Promise Broken – A Promise Kept, She Dances with a Memory, and When Love Isn’t Enough remind us that the human spirit endures.

Lyrics captures life in poetry—moments of longing, faith, and reflection in pieces like Comes the Dawn, Society, and The Blind Man in the Night.

From chilling possibilities to comforting truths, Fringes, Heartstrings & Lyrics is a genre-blending collection of short fiction and poetry that will make you think, feel, and return again and again.

Picture caption: Meme featuring Fringes, Heartstrings and Lyrics book cover and the words Poetry transforms emotions into palpable words

PURCHASE LINK: https://www.amazon.com/Fringes-Heartstrings-Lyrics-Jan-Sikes-ebook/dp/B0GRWQC3SH/

Picture caption: Author photograph of Jan Sikes

About Jan Sikes

Jan Sikes is a multi-award-winning author, who writes compelling and creative stories from the heart.

She openly admits that she never set out in life to be an author, although she’s been an avid reader all her life. But she had a story to tell—Not just any story, but a true story to rival any fiction creation. She brought the powerful true story to life through fictitious characters in an intricately woven tale that encompasses four books, accompanying music CDs, and a book of poetry and art.

And now, this author can’t put down the pen. She continues to write fiction in a variety of genres and has published many award-winning short stories and novels. She is an active blogger, a member of the Story Empire group, loves to support indie artists (both literary and musical) and is the grandmother of five beautiful souls. Find out more at http://www.jansikes.com

Find Jan Sikes

http://www.jansikes.com

https://www.jansikes.com/blog

http://www.facebook.com/AuthorJanSikesBooks

https://bsky.app/profile/jksikes-author.bsky.social

https://www.bookbub.com/profile/jan-sikes

http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00CS9K8DK  (Author Page)

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7095856.Jan_Sikes

Roberta Writes – Esther Chilton’s Writing Challenge and Tanka Tuesday

Esther Chilton’s Writing Challenge

Esther’s challenge word this week is Vision. I am continuing my Paris series of poems and posts. You can join in Esther’s challenge here: https://estherchilton.co.uk/2026/04/08/writing-prompts-110/

Medici Fountain in Jardin du Luxembourg

It looms above me

a vision in sandstone,

bronze, and marble

the Medici Fountain

heard before it’s seen

water gushing down wide stairs

into a long tree-shaded basin

in white marble

the sea nymph, Galatea,

and the mortal, Acis

make love

while from behind

the jealous cyclops, Polyphemus

represented in bronze

sneaks upon them

a dead bull across his back

Is Acis’ death a tragedy?

Or is his transformation

into a river spirit

perfect immortalisation?

I wonder

my thoughts flowing

alongside the representations of

the River Rhone and River Seine

observed by Faunus and Diana

My photographs of Medici Fountain and closeups of the sculptures are in the slideshow below.

  • Side view of the Medici Fountain
  • Close up of Polyphemus looking down on the lovers, Galatea and Acis
  • Close up of Galatea and Acis
  • Close up of Polyphemus with the dead bull across his back

My Youtube video of the Medici Fountain.

Fountaine de Leda (at the back)

Fontaine de Leda

hidden fountain

depicting in stone

the seduction of Aetolian princess, Leda

by sky and thunder god, Zeus

in the form of a swan

Leda holds the bird

on her knees while

water flows from its bronze beak

the pair, encircled by roses

are shot by an arrow

from Cupid, lurking in the corner

The Fountaine de Leda is at the back of the Medici Fountain and a lot of people miss it. I saw it because I walked around the back of the Medici Fountain to get photographs on the other side.

Tanka Tuesday

My prompt for this week was to use onomatopoeia in a poem. I’ve written a tautogram poem using onomatopoeia using the American cinquain form.

spouting

sound symphony

splishing, splashing, spraying

splattering smooth, shining surface

splendid

You can join in Tanka Tuesday here: https://tankatuesday.com/2026/04/07/tankatuesday-poetry-challenge-no-59-onomatopoeia-in-poetry-04-07-2026/

Roberta Writes – d’Verse: Imperatively Yours, Thursday Doors, The Flower Hour & CFFC

Frontal view of the fountain showing the centerpiece in good light.

Bonjour! I am back from my 6-day race around Paris and surrounds.

D’verse: Imperatively Yours

Dora has asked poets to write a poem using the imperative mood. You can learn more about this here: https://dversepoets.com/2026/04/07/poetics-imperatively-yours/. I have written my poem about Paris.

Paris in Spring

You must love Paris

What’s not to love?

The sun shines brightly

The statues gleam whitely

Spring abounds everywhere

Tulips model the new colours

Bedecking flowerbed ramps

Which style do you like best?

While pansies peep shyly

From behind tulip skirts

Waiting for their moment

To steal the show

Who will win best bonnet?

And in the corner

A vivid splash of yellow

Daffodils bow their own horns

Along the path

Water splashes loudly

Come and admire me

The fountain thunders

White feather boas

Streaming upwards

Silvery drops blowing

On the treacherous wind

Sharp reminder

That Old Man Winter

Is still directing

The production

Jardin Du Luxembourg

The Jardin du Luxembourg was created in 1612 when Marie de’ Medici, the widow of King Henry IV, constructed the Luxembourg Palace as her new residence. This is the number one garden in Paris and is known for its lawns, tree-lined promenades, tennis courts, flowerbeds, model sailboats on its octagonal Grand Bassin. It is also home to the Fontaine de l’Observatoire and Medici Fountain. I’m showcasing the Fontaine de l’Observatoire today.

Click on the slideshow to see the Fontaine de l’Observatoire:

  • Frontal view of the fountain showing the centerpiece in good light.
  • Frontal view of the fountain into the sun. The water sparkles but the statue is a silhouette
  • Close up of the centerpiece of the fountain featuring four female figures representing the four parts of the world: Europe, Asia, Africa and America, twisting their bodies to turn the sphere.
  • Another view of the fountain featuring the horses in the basin around the fountain.
  • side view of the fountain with the water shooting upwards towards the centre

This is one of my Youtube videos of this fountain:

You can see more of my Paris Youtube videos on my channel.

Thursday Doors

The Universite de Paris Institut d’Art Et d’Archeologie is near the Jardin du Luxembourg. I really liked the brick patterning of this building which is why I took these photographs. It reminded me of lego.

These photographs are for Dan’s Thursday Doors Challenge: https://nofacilities.com/2026/04/09/heinz-chapel/

This is a shot of the Universite de Paris Institut d'Art Et d'Archeologie with its interesting brick patterning.
This is the ornate door of the University

The Flower Hour and CFFC, view as we walk

These photographs are of flowers and statues in the Jardin du Luxembourg. They are for Terri’s The Flower Hours (most of the flowers are tulips) and for Dan’s CFFC as these were taken while we walked. We walked approximately 20,000 steps a day for the 6 days I was in Paris.

You can join in Dan’s CFFC challenge here: https://nofacilities.com/2026/04/06/view-as-we-walk-or-hike-cffc/

You can join in Terri’s Flower Hour here: https://secondwindleisure.com/2026/04/07/the-flower-hour-25-pop-go-the-poppies/

A picture of yellow and white tulips - closeup
White Monument to Leconte de Lisle in a flowerbed of orange and yellow tulips
Picture of me with the Le Faune dansant sculpture in the background in a flowerbed of yellow and orange tulips
Flowerbed of orange and yellow tulips with some white flowers

Roberta Writes – Tanka Tuesday and CFFC

An unexpected opportunity came up for me to travel to Paris to meet my husband. We will spend Easter together in this fascinating city. This will be my last post other than my committed posts for LatinosUSA and Writing to be Read until my return on 8 April. If you celebrate, wishing you a blessed Easter.

Tanka Tuesday

Melissa’s Tanka Tuesday challenge is to write a Hautt. You can learn more about this form here: https://tankatuesday.com/2026/03/24/tankatuesday-challenge-no-57-the-hautt-3-24-26/

Alone

we walk our paths

alone, single file

we find

meaning

temporarily

in partnerships

CFFC – View from Public transportation

You can join in Dan’s CFFC challenge here: https://nofacilities.com/2026/03/30/view-from-public-transportation-cffc/

These are some pictures I took while crossing Westminster Bridge in the taxi. It was so hot, all the windows were wide open. The traffic allowed for decent pictures.

This is my favourite photograph from Japan. It was also taken from a taxi. I opened the window much to the driver’s horror – haha!

Roberta Writes – Reblog: Treasuring Poetry – Meet talented poet Paul Cannon

Today, I am delighted to introduce talented poet, Paul Cannon, as my first Treasuring Poetry guest of 2026.

Thanks for hosting, Kaye Lynne Booth.

A riverbed with lillypads, water, and grasses. Text: Treasuring Poetry with Robbie Cheadle and KAye Lynne Booth

Hi everyone, welcome back to Treasuring Poetry 2026. My first guest of the year is talented poet, Paul Cannon, who I met through the d’Verse Poets Pub. You can find the latest d’Verse challenge here: https://dversepoets.com/2026/01/15/its-open-link-night-and-our-live-session-is-just-around-the-corner/. d’Verse hosts three challenges a week and they are all very interesting.

Tell us a bit about Paul Cannon. How and why did you start writing poetry?

My earliest memory of my interest in poetry is my parents encouraging me to listen to them reading poetry to me from the Children’s Book Of Verse. I remember in later primary school having to memorise poems like Coleridge’s ‘The Rime of the Ancient Mariner’ and Southey’s ‘The Inchcape Rock’ along with Patterson’s ‘The Man From Snowy River.’ Poetry captured my imagination.

Later, in high school, we were introduced to many poets and forms from around the world. We were also tasked with writing poetry which I enjoyed. One poet who I continue to read from that time is Robert Frost, I love the way he draws me into observing human behaviour and feelings, and how he observes nature.

After high school I continued to write. The incentive was, naturally, love interests. My girlfriends were always polite about my writing, not least Lyn my wife to be. From the time I married in 83 to the mid nineties I was hit and miss with writing, what brought me back in earnest was my journey into becoming an Anglican priest and the pathway of training to be a spiritual director or companion for those needing a sounding board for personal discernment. This journey opened me up to the poetry of Mary Oliver, R.S. Thomas, Denise Levertov, Blake, Milton, Edwina Gateley, Noel Davis, Rumi, Hafez, Layli and many more. These poets inspired me and I became intentional about my writing at this point.

I didn’t go online with my poems until 2017. I was writing prose on Face Book and switched to WordPress in 2013 and it was through the WordPress community that I was encouraged to take the plunge into poetry after posting some tentative pieces.

Continue reading here: https://writingtoberead.com/2026/01/21/treasuring-poetry-meet-talented-poet-paul-cannon/

Roberta Writes about the grey loerie, d’Verse muchness and Thursday Doors: Royal Museums of Fine Arts, Brussels #d’verse #thursdaydoors #peterpaulrubens

If you are interested in seeing my latest artwork, you can see my post on my website here: https://www.robbiecheadle.co.za/a-hartebeest-with-texture-robbiecheadleart/

This poem is for Don’t Hold Your Breath’s Bird of the Week challenge. You can join in here: https://anotherglobaleater.wordpress.com/2025/09/09/green-backed-tit-birds-of-the-week-invitation-lxxxiii/

Grey Loerie or the Grey go-away-bird (freestyle)

Picture caption: grey loerie in the tree in my garden

Go-away-bird is back

watching carefully

how well I tend his fruit trees

screeching lovingly

from the top of his tree

“kweh! kweh!”

in a load and nasal tone

the last syllable uttered in

a condescending drawl

Soon, his friends will join him

they’ll all joyfully participate in

a tree-top foraging party

all congratulating me

on my successful peach crop

while they enjoy

the fruits of my labour

When they’ve guzzled enough

and their bellies are stuffed

they will have a dust bathe

on the ground nearby

teasing the cat

as she tries to stake her claim

under the blackberry patch

D’verse Quadrille #231

De Jackson here, aka WhimsyGizmo challenges poets to write a poem about muchness. You can join in and/or find out more here: https://dversepoets.com/2025/09/08/quadrille-231-making-much-of-poems/

The Muchness of Spring (Quadrille)

Spring

the season of muchness

colourful flowers are many

and their pollen

much too much

It combines with much dust

to cause much havoc

with much hayfever

It’s muchness is visible

as it sparkles in the sunshine

entering the nose

and causing much sneezing

The trilogy of pictures below are of my bank’s roses. They are very pretty but they do causes muchly sneezes.

Thursday Doors

Dan Antion hosts a weekly Thursday Doors Challenge. You can join in here: https://nofacilities.com/2025/09/11/still-mooving-at-osv/

There were three reasons I agreed to fly for 16 hours to London and another 16 hours back again in July. 1. Michael came and I wanted to expand his horizons, 2. to visit Flanders in Brussels 3. to see the Peter Paul Rubens paintings at the Royal Museums of Fine Arts in Brussels. Today, I’m sharing my pictures of the third visit. Spectacular paintings that were worth the travelling.

Picture caption: Front of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts with the decorate door. We didn’t go in here.
Picture caption: This is the back door where we exited the museum
Picture caption: This is the door into one of the galleries in the Old Masters section of the museum
Picture caption: The martyrdom of St Livinus by Peter Paul Rubens. I adore those little fat cherubs.
Picture caption: Pieta with St Francis by Peter Paul Rubens
Picture caption: The Assumption of the Virgin by Peter Paul Rubens
Picture caption: The coronation of the Virgin by Peter Paul Rubens
Picture caption: The ascent to Calvary by Peter Paul Rubens

The is my video of one of Rubens artworks called And Workshop

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

Picture caption: Cover of The Rat in the Python Fashion by Alex Craigie featuring a cartoon styled python with people inside a bulge in its belly.

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

Picture caption: Cover of Dewdrops on the Soul: Poetry you will love by Dwight Roth featuring a red hibiscus flower covered in dewdrops

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