CAUSE
Badass Bird Woman by ANDREA STUART
S
itting on a wrought iron perch that reaches up from the ground, a juvenile barred owl stares at Donna L. Cole, an award-winning investigative and multimedia journalist. The bird’s deliberate black eyes contrast its softly mottled gray and brown feathers, still downy with youth. On any given day, Cole can peer from her bedroom window to see owls, such as this one, who have found sanctuary in her yard. Cole’s bed is imprinted by her body; its linens are a cocoon that holds her when the pain becomes nonnegotiable. Her longhaired Weimaraner, Ludwig, lies by her side. Some people might find a room where so many hours are Great horned owl release in October near Thomas Point Park, Annapolis. Photos by Donna L. Cole.
56 | Winter 2021
