"White Owl..." by Mary Oliver

I make no pretense about how I feel about Snowy Owls.  I had previously posted this to Facebook but since not all my peeps "do" social media, it simply made my heart happy to repost it to my blog which is in reawakening-mode.   To whit...

Mary Oliver, “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 a 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 wings — five feet apart —

and the grabbing thrust of its feet,

and the indentation of what had been running

through the white valleys of the snow —

and then it rose, gracefully,

and flew back to the frozen 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 looking,

and shut our eyes, not without amazement,

and let ourselves be carried,

as through the translucence of mica,

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.

Break and diocesan reflection

I will be taking an extended break from blogging or any attempt to blog. I have a lot on my plate right now and nothing left with which to try to formulate a post.

I will make one observation in regard to the results of my Diocese's election of Rev. Hanley. That observation is this: I am disappointed and hope I am wrong in saying that I think we have not chosen the best applicant for leading our diocese into a future of positive change. I had hoped we had learned a lesson from the ill-chosen Bishop Itty but after all the process of chosing candidates for this most recent election, I see that we did not learn what we should have. I wish him well and hope we will not regret the outcome. Our bishop should have been one familiar with the Northwest and had actually spent time growing up here and serving here. We did not chose this person, probably because the usual folks didn't want a woman as a bishop, which is not progressive at all, something our state is usually known for, but not this year. So that's all I have to say.

Have a good Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanza or whichever holiday you celebrate, or none, if that is the case, then have a beautiful winter season.

Catherine