Robbie Cheadle's Blog, page 4

Robbie’s Inspiration – Tanka Tuesday, Esther Chilton’s Writing Challenge and Sunday Stills #poetry #photography

Colleen’s challenge this week is to write a poem using a kigo work for September. She suggested dew but I’m using dust as that is what we seem to have in abundance at this time of year. You can read other contributions here: https://tankatuesday.com/2025/09/16/tankatuesday-poetry-challenge-no-39-24-seasons-9-16-25/

Dust

temperatures creeping

upwards at a steady pace

dust blankets new growth

scent of jasmine syrupy

first rainfall a desperate dream

Esther Chilton’s prompt is promise. You can join in here: https://estherchilton.co.uk/2025/09/17/writing-prompts-83/

I promise

I promised Mother we would not cross the railway line anywhere except at the crossing. I promised Granny Joan too. Granny Joan had a horror of railway line crossings ever since her neighbour’s husband was killed when his brightly coloured Volkswagen Beetle stalled in the middle of the lines when he was coming home late one evening. The car was crushed by a train that didn’t see the vehicle until it was to late. His daughter, a school mate of mine, was left fatherless. At school, the children whispered that it was a suicide. I’d never heard of suicide before and I never wanted to again. The nuns said suicide was a mortal sin that sent you straight to hell.

My intentions were good. We were going to cross the railway line passing the local beach at the crossing. It was the best place to cross anyway as it was just before the parking lot and the beach cafe. The problem was I couldn’t remember where the crossing was. It was Cath and my first visit to the beach on our own and I couldn’t remember the way. We walked and walked. Cath was tired and becoming whiny. I didn’t know what to do. I could see the sand dunes so I knew the beach was close, but there was the railway line with no place to cross it.

Cath sat down and refused to stand. She wasn’t going to keep walking on and on. I made a decision. We would cross the railway lines here.

“Come on, Cath. The beach is just on the other side of the railway line and dunes. All we have to do is cross carefully and climb up the sand dunes. Then we’ll be there.”

I took her small hand and we started crossing. The lines hummed and pulsed like a living thing. I could feel vibrations running up my body. It was scary. I kept checking for trains. The hairs on my arms stood up and my nerves were squeaky.

An eternity later, we reached the other side. In one piece. Not squashed to mincemeat by a huge, fast train.

We clambered up the dunes and there was the beach. The sea a glistening mass of heaving water. A short distance to the right was the asphalt of the parking lot and the gleaming white of the beach cafe. The crossing had been a mere 500 metres away, just around the corner.

so close yet so far

devil tempts weary children

sin for confession

Sunday Stills, Waterfalls

Terri’s Sunday Stills challenge is fountains, waterfalls, and geysers. You can join in here:

Picture caption: this photograph is from 2021 when we visited Fugitive’s Drift in KwaZulu Natal.Picture caption: Waterfall on the Monk’s Cowl short hike in the Drakensberg MountainsPicture caption: Waterfall at The Cavern in the DrakensbergPicture caption: Waterfall with a rainbow in the Drakensberg Mountains

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens: book overview part 2 by Robbie Cheadle

I recently re-read Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, a book I read and loved as a pre-teen. This is part 2 of my overview of this famous novel. …

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens: book overview part 2 by Robbie Cheadle

Treasuring Poetry – Kevin Morris shares about his book, Passing Through: Some thoughts on life and death, and a review #poetry #poetrycommunity #…

Today, I am thrilled to welcome talented Kevin Morris back to Treasuring Poetry. Kevin was one of my inaugural guests when I first started this …

Treasuring Poetry – Kevin Morris shares about his book, Passing Through: Some thoughts on life and death, and a review #poetry #poetrycommunity #…

“She Stalks” by Robbie Cheadle

Thank you to Barbara from MasticadoresUSA for sharing my poem, She Stalks.

She Stalks (99-syllable double ennead)Feline slinks cautiouslyThrough agapanthusProud of her stealth and hunting proficiencyShe eyes avian pestsTime …

“She Stalks” by Robbie Cheadle

Robbie’s Inspiration – W3, Tanka Tuesday and Sunday Stills #poetry #photography

W3

Jaideep’s prompt is as follows:

Write a poem where form and content are at odds.

Use a light or playful form (for example, a limerick, clerihew, double dactyl, skeltonic, or nursery-rhyme rhythm).Or simply write in any style that sounds upbeat through its meter, rhyme, sing-song cadence, or playful repetition.Then employ that cheerful sound to convey weighty subject matter — loss, mortality, injustice, or other serious themes.

The tension between the bright form and dark content should create an unsettling or thought-provoking effect.

You can join in here: https://skepticskaddish.com/2025/09/10/w3-prompt-176-weave-written-weekly/

Twisted Nursery Rhyme

Laura, my sister, and I fell out

And this is what it was all about

She loves Daddy and so do I

Both his human mortality deny

Tanka Tuesday

Willows challenge is to chose a trigger for a childhood memory. I choose fragrance. You can join in here: https://tankatuesday.com/2025/09/09/tankatuesday-poetry-challenge-no-28-memories-2-09-25/

Fragrance of Christmas Past (tanka)

fragrance of Christmas

cinnamon and strong spices

gifting memories

gingerbread men and fruit cake

four little girls with rag dolls

Sunday Stills

Terri’s photograph challenge this week is strong yellow and orange colours. You can join in here: https://secondwindleisure.com/2025/09/14/sunday-stills-monthly-color-challenge-vibrant-yellow-and-orange-hues-with-hints-of-yellowstone/

Picture caption: my latest watercolour painting – Girl among flowersPicture caption: William the Weaver advertising his latest nestPicture caption: Here he is again – such a busy little guyPicture caption: my spring flowers with a butterflyPicture caption: Banks roses – I like this picture very muchPicture caption: Yellow and violet irises

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens: book overview part 1 by Robbie Cheadle

The second and third will be released successively every Friday (Editor’s note j, Ré Crivello) When I was a little girl of 8 years old, my sister, …

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens: book overview part 1 by Robbie Cheadle

Read and Cook with Robbie Cheadle – Introducing Borderline by Graeme Cumming and avocado and lemon bread #fiction #Borderline #baking

Today, I have a special treat for you. A review of Graeme Cumming’s new thriller, Borderline, and a short Q&A with this excellent author. Borderline …

Read and Cook with Robbie Cheadle – Introducing Borderline by Graeme Cumming and avocado and lemon bread #fiction #Borderline #baking

Robbie’s Inspiration – Tanka Tuesday and W3 #bloodmoon #photography #poetry

Tanka Tuesday

Melissa has provided a fun prompt revolving around looking through a window. You can read the detail and join in here: https://tankatuesday.com/2025/09/02/tankatuesday-poetry-challenge-no-28-tanka-and-renga-09-02-25/

Flying with the birds (tanka)

beyond the window

freedom of birds enticing

bum on seat, mind soars

taking on bird persona

delighting in soft, white clouds

W3

Sadje invites participants to write a poem — in any form they prefer — centered on imagery. You can join in here: https://skepticskaddish.com/2025/09/03/w3-prompt-175-weave-written-weekly/

Yellow Iris

pale lemon

frock of delicate

handmade lace

frilled and flounced

perfectly attired iris

ready for spring ball

My yellow iris photographs:

Blood Moon

vibrant red

lighting up night sky

bleeding out

into dark

reminding indifferent man

nature rules supreme

A few blood moon photographs:

“Collateral Damage” by Robbie Cheadle

Thank you to Barbara from Masticadores USA for sharing my poem.

Who or whatis to blamefor employeedisillusionment?For silent withdrawalchronic disengagementloss of faithNot the corporate –…

“Collateral Damage” by Robbie Cheadle

Robbie’s Inspiration – Southern Masked Weaver, What do you see? and CFFC #poetry #photography

The piece below is for The Bird of the Week post hosted by Don’t Hold Your Breath blog here: https://anotherglobaleater.wordpress.com/2025/09/02/large-niltava-birds-of-the-week-invitation-cxxxi

Southern Masked Weaver Bird (tanka prose)

The Southern Masked Weaver is a resident breeding bird species common throughout southern Africa. This bird is found in a wide range of habitats from shrubland, to wetlands, to semi-desert areas. They also enjoy my garden and I currently have three male birds in residency. The adult male in his breeding plumage is a gorgeous and bright yellow. I love watching these determined and artistic birds building their complicated nests. Last year, we had a first year juvenile male and it was fascinating watching him build nest after nest, and seeing how they visible improved significantly from one attempt to the next. This year, all three birds, William, Werner, and Wynand, are fairly competent buildings but the fussy females have not yet accepted any of the nests. These birds are nicknamed ‘nature’s skilled architects’.

Nature’s architects

builders of intricate nests

unusual design

shaped like an upside-down flask

woven using feet and beak

Picture caption: this is my first spring photograph 2025 of a Southern Masked Weaver building a nest. This was taken with my new ProMax iphone 18.1.Picture caption: Southern Masked Weaver building a nest in my back gardenPicture caption: Another bird building sessionWhat do you see?

The following poem is for this photograph provided by Sadje for her What do you see? challenge. You can join in here: https://lifeafter50forwomen.com/2025/09/01/what-do-you-see-304-1st-september-2025/

Picture caption: a hand holding a small glass ball against a sunset backgroundThe Bubble

within the confines

of her protective bubble

She observes the world

with little understanding

thinks the starving should eat cake

This poem is a play on the statement Marie Antoinette is purported to have made after being told that the French peasants were starving. The phrase, ‘let them eat cake’ is now synonymous with someone of privilege who is completely out of touch with the needs of others, largely those who are less privileged.

CFFC

Dan’s CFFC challenge this week is night. Last week it was twilight which I missed. I’ve included both challenges in this post. You can join in here: https://nofacilities.com/2025/09/01/time-of-day-night-cffc/

Picture caption: Muddy buffalo at twilight. This photograph won a merit award in a photography challenge.Picture caption: silhouette of a giraffe at twilightPicture caption: silhouette of a tree at twilight in the bush. Picture caption: London (Westminster Bridge) at night including the London EyePicture caption: I think this is Waterloo Bridge but let me know if I am wrong as I’m not sure.Picture caption: Big Ben all lit up at nightPicture caption: trees lit with pink lights near the London Eye.