“White Owl Flies Into and Out of the Field”

Coming down out of the freezing sky

With its depths of light, like an angel,

Or Buddha with wings,

It was beautiful and accurate,

Striking the snow and whatever was there

With a force that left the imprint

Of the tips of its wing—

Five feet apart and—and the grabbing trust of its feet,

And the indentation of what had been running

Through the white valleys of snow.

And then it rose, gracefully,

And flew back to the marshes, to lurk there,

Like a little lighthouse in the blue shadows-

So I thought:

Maybe death isn’t darkness after all,

But so much light wrapping itself around us-

As soft as feathers-

That we are instantly weary of looking, and shut our eyes,

Not without amazement,

And let ourselves be carried,

As through the translucence of mice, to the river

That is without the least dapple or shadow-

That is nothing but light,

Scalding, aortal light—

In which we are washed and washed out of our bones.

– Mary Oliver

Dorothy was one of the most passionate and dedicated women I have met, passionate for the environment, her islands she called home, her life, family and friends.  She was the conscience of many and the voice of the critters and ecosystem that could not speak for themselves.

We may have had our different approaches to the same issues we both wanted for our islands and the environment, but I always respected her passion. She has left a legacy here for us all which can never be forgotten and will always live on.

Patty Pirnack-Hamilton

Orcas Island