the winged muse

a new writing competition and exclusive poetry

here the hills are fading into gold, oaks are heavy with their eggs and the distant trees are dusted with a bronze powder. the heron walks deeper into the marsh, the months have dry weather have shrunk it to almost naught. a falcon hovers over grasses. a honey buzzard calls across our heads. returning home, we were greeted by a hibiscus flower larger than my face.

we are sharing some poetry by Thomas Caton, the hushed tones of the wild speak to us from his words. allow the ancient speak to take you into it’s depths.

THE VISITOR
Thomas Caton

Mild haze, Derwent Water-
elbow of the lake. 
The topaz gleam
clear as the conscience.
 
Waterside greenery 
resembles a vast terrain.
Rocks, shadows are
geographically independent.
 
Winter has momentarily vanished
and that which is above
can be regarded
without raising an eye.
 
Skiddaw is slumped centrally,
distant yet closer than before-
a pool of mountain,
a watercolour in the wild.

I am its visitor, a humble guest
quietly breathing in
the centuries old air
that endlessly endures.

And when my footsteps quieten
a millennium may elapse
yet nothing will change,
except the life that has passed
through it.


Thomas Caton (Tom) resides in Cumbria, England, only a short distance from where William Wordsworth was born. He is a father of one who has been writing poetry on and off for a number of years. 

and at last welcome to our monthly ‘muse’. a writing competition inspired by an image, or a theme that we will share each month here on substack.

our first muse, photographic art winged in from our recent ANCIENT issue, entitled ‘the singer of lots myths’ by Seraphine Saintclair.

here are the guidelines:

• write a piece in response to this image, it can be poetry, prose or micro fiction.

• the poetry should be no more than 30 lines, the prose and micro fiction no more than 300 words,

• please send us your writing to thewingedmoonmagazine@gmail.com

• submissions are open until 17th September

• we will announce our winners on IG and publish a curated micro magazine on 25th of September here on substack

• the overall winner each month will be given a paid subscription to here for two months

• please do not share the image or your writing until after the winners have been announced

we are thrilled at our new competition and really send a wish out to you all to send something to us if you feel the muse move in you.

ANCIENT is available in print on Amazon.