THE OWLS' TEACHINGS by Carolyn Chilton Casas

The Owls’ Teachings
by Carolyn Chilton Casas

From beyond the darkened orchard,
I hear the blossoming calls
of a great horned owl
and his companion’s reply.
From oak to pine, they converse
in a secret language
while I sit in between, guessing
at the meaning.

It’s a blessing to feel their presence
though they can’t be seen, and yet
with my closed eyes, I picture
their soft, feathered bodies,
heads swiveling side to side.

Could there be a teaching in this—
to open a space in my heart,
to consider them friends
for whatever time they are near,
until they take wing?

Oh, the jubilance among wild things!

An indigenous man in Guatemala
told me my spirit animal is the owl.
For a time after the death
of a loved one,
a barn owl visited at dusk,
bringing much needed solace
from another dimension.

And the clear message—
a cherished love between two beings
can never die.

Carolyn Chilton Casas lives on the central coast of California, the perfect landscape for a love of nature, hiking, and playing beach volleyball. She is a Reiki master and teacher, whose favorite theme for writing is about ways to heal. Her stories and poems have appeared in Braided Way, Energy, A Network for Grateful Living, Reiki News Magazine, Touch,and in other publications. You can read more of Carolyn’s work on Instagram at mindfulpoet_ or in her first collection of poems titled Our Shared Breath. Carolyn's second collection of poems is forthcoming. 

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