Welcome Hauntings – Nature Hauntings
Welcome Hauntings submissions!
by Sally Mills
An eerie screech,
a throaty hiss,
that pierce the air,
both sounds I’d miss,
your silent flight,
we share the dawn,
my sleep blurred eyes
embrace your form.
Ghostly drifting,
your heart-shaped face,
looks and listens,
there’s no escape,
your gaze is fixed,
your chances few,
to catch your prey,
small vole or shrew.
Your toil a sign,
allays my fears,
consoling sight,
for future years,
you’ll take your cue,
at dawn and dusk,
a balance reached,
of you and us.
Barn Owls are often known as ghost birds
due to their pale plumage and their silent
flight at dawn and dusk.
Artist Bio
Sally Mills graduated as an artist and followed a career devoted to nature conservation, she has written/illustrated three publications: her debut memoir, Island to Island, and accompanying Photograph Collection, together with the production of illustrations for a children’s book, Boomy the Bittern. With drive and motivation to inspire people about nature, she has recently become captivated by the world of poetry. She has had children’s poems published by the Dirigible Balloon and has recently had poems selected by The Toy and Little Thought Press magazines. Her poetry for adults is due to appear in four anthologies.
for Joy
A totally unexpected surprise
nothing short of a miracle
against the golden background
of rank grass and tawny rushes
all daubed with new varnish
by the setting sun, framing
the ghostly beauty of la chouette –
shy, rare barn owl.
Rooted to the spot in awe
I saw her glide across the
hunting ground, paler and more
spectral than I ever imagined,
grace distilled in the ease and
speed of soundless swoops,
as near perfection
as I will ever see.
Nothing disturbs her search,
focus utter – survival intense,
echoes of legend in her eerie
daytime hunting call.
Breathing steam into the
already frosty dusk
I realise I had held my breath
all this time – to worship.
Poet Bio
Jane Newberry came late to poetry and is now widely published in lit journals and anthologies. Her two books of children’s play rhymes Big Green Crocodile and Big Red Dragon were shortlisted for the CLIPPA Award. Jane’s debut pamphlet for adults Hoyden’s Trove was published in 2022 (Wheelsong Books). You can find her on Instagram @Janenewberry59 and on X @janenewberry55.