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Worm Moon

An Opal Oath

By Kate Kastelberg Published 2 years ago 1 min read
First Place in the Short and Sweet Challenge

an owl bats the air

with one wing on the East wind,

one wing on the West wind—

the lilt of the land like

a live wire,

up and down

in the rain and dark

but alas, soon

his nest is in view,

in the knot and nape

of the jade yews.

Home,

see his mate rise

to give a full beak kiss,

nod, then show him

the pale lily eggs,

warm and new.

See him pull her near

and say,

“Oh love of mine,

this is my oath:

in this vale of

land, sea and air,

I hail and call down the moon

to rise and set,

wax and wane

upon your bid

and all for you.”

love poemsnature poetry

About the Creator

Kate Kastelberg

-cottage-core meets adventure

-revels in nature, mystery and the fantastical

-avoids baleful gaze of various eldritch terrors

-your Village Witch before it was cool

-under command of cats and owls

-let’s take a Time Machine back to the 90s

Reader insights

Outstanding

Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!

Top insights

  1. Compelling and original writing

    Creative use of language & vocab

  2. Easy to read and follow

    Well-structured & engaging content

  3. Excellent storytelling

    Original narrative & well developed characters

  1. Heartfelt and relatable

    The story invoked strong personal emotions

Add your insights

Comments (37)

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  • Susan Payton11 months ago

    Going around and finding the different types of poetry and poem that have been challenged on vocal. It was worth joining vocal for. Beautiful poem

  • angela hepworth2 years ago

    So beautiful - congratulations on the win!

  • Christy Munson2 years ago

    Beautiful piece! Congratulations on the win. :)

  • Ridiculously beautiful; I teared up. Keep writing. Your fan, ROCK

  • Rob Angeli2 years ago

    Such a choice use of odd little striking words! Beautiful love oath, owls are awesome! 🦉

  • Michael Brennan2 years ago

    This is beautiful! Well done! This needs to be printed on greeting cards and tattooed on the wall of a gift shop.

  • Sarah Glass2 years ago

    Ohh wow I love this! So beautiful and read so smoothly. Loved those subtle rhymes. Great job and congratulations on the win!

  • Novel Allen2 years ago

    Very poetic and ageless. So Unique

  • Teresa Renton2 years ago

    Could read this over and over again. The alliteration, half rhymes, assonance … masterful techniques deployed with skill and sensitivity 😍

  • Dana Stewart2 years ago

    Original concept, beautifully written. Congratulations on the win 🎉

  • Thanks to everyone for providing such kind and thoughtful comments!

  • Gerald Holmes2 years ago

    Incredible work. Congrats on the win.

  • Teresa Renton2 years ago

    Congratulations! Absolutely stunning poem ❤️

  • Mack Devlin2 years ago

    Fantastic work

  • Mackenzie Davis2 years ago

    Absolutely stunning! I adore this. Unique in every way, hits right at the heart. Congratulations!!

  • Grz Colm2 years ago

    Great writing Kate. Congrats on your prize! 😊🎉

  • Wow 🥰 A truly inspiring and well deserved win 🏅

  • Congratulations 🎉 ✨🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

  • Congratulations on your Win!!!

  • Chloe Gilholy2 years ago

    Lovely poem.

  • Kristen Balyeat2 years ago

    Absolutely stunning! What a beautiful take on this challenge, and a clear winner. Beautiful job, Kate! Well done!

  • Test2 years ago

    What an unconventional and exquisitely written piece of pure love. Congratulations.

  • Dana Crandell2 years ago

    Congratulations on the win! Well-earned.

  • Lamar Wiggins2 years ago

    Excellent poem. Congratulations on the WIN!!!

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