Robbie’s Inspiration – Sunflower Tanka: Dreams, submissions open, Reena’s Xploration Challenge and CFFC #poetry #photography #SunflowerTankaDreams

Sunflower Tanka Dreams Submissions Open now

Submissions for Sunflower Tanka Dreams are open from 9 August to 9 September 2025. You will find all the details and guidelines on Colleen’s blog here: https://tankatuesday.com/2025/08/09/submissions-are-open-for-the-2025-sunflower-tanka-anthology/

Reena’s Xploration Challenge

Reena’s challenge for this week is to write a poem inspired by the following wording:

She kept the clock running backward, just to see which regrets would return first.

For me, this fitted nicely into the dreams theme so I’m using this poem as a demo for the Sunflower Tanka Dreams anthology and for Reena’s Xploration Challenge which you can join here: https://reinventionsreena.wordpress.com/2025/08/07/reenas-xploration-challenge-393/

Mellowing of Dreams (rensaku)

hindsight’s clarity

pierces childhood memories

unravelling joys

and long days of happiness

dreams of youth revisited

***

young girl’s ambitions

white wedding among flowers

stripped right to bare bone

goals achievement considered

dreams of youth revisited

***

senior school learner

individuality

suppressed to conform

with pack ideas of coolness

dreams of youth revisited

***

young professional

climbing the corporate ladder

harshest lesson learned

be careful what you wish for

dreams of youth revisited

***

middle age entered

edges mellowed by losses

contentment new goal

value of health understood

dreams of youth revisited

CFFC

Dan’s CFFC challenge is afternoon. You can join in here: https://nofacilities.com/2025/08/11/time-of-day-afternoon-cffc/ The following pictures are afternoon scenes that could also translate as the fulfilment of a dream or the objective of a dream. Perhaps one of them will inspire you with dreams related poetry.

Picture caption: Houseboat on a canal in Amsterdam

Picture caption: Elephant in a South African private game reserve.

Picture caption: house facing the white cliffs near Friston Forest in the UK (near to Brighton and the forest home of Winnie the Pooh)

Picture caption: small cruise boat on the canal in Bruges, Belgium

Picture caption: My son, Greg, on his graduation day from University with a degree in mathematics and computer science

Picture caption: English Heritage notice specifying that a famous author lived here.

Picture caption: small cruise boat on the Thames in front of Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament in London

Picture caption: I’ve shared this photograph before but its my favourite of my wedding photographs