Animal Blessings: Prayers and Poems Celebrating Our Pets

by June Cotner

Overview

Our pets. They are our loyal companions and our faithful friends, a constant source of joy and inspiration. In this endearing anthology of prayers and poems, June Cotner has handpicked choice writings by some of the world's most notable animal lovers to celebrate the playful, the poignant, and the profound ways these wonderful creatures touch our daily lives.

Selections include Emily Dickinson's astute observations of her cat, Roger Caras' thoughts about the love a dog brings to a home, and a cat's rules for running a house. Readers will be delighted by Anne Porter's poem exalting a spring symphony of peepers and Rumi in praise of birds in flight. The section "Partings" includes Annie Dougherty's lovely poem "Time to Say Good-bye" and Lord Byron's epitaph to his dog. "Reflections" includes the words of St. Francis, Jane Goodall, and Chief Seattle, reminding us that we are all interconnected beings, and James Herriot and Walt Whitman honoring the humble dignity of all creatures.

Animal Blessings makes a wonderful gift for all animal lovers. This delightful volume is a charming companion that reminds us to be grateful for everything our pets and all the other animals of the world bring to our lives.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062516459
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	09/28/2000
Edition description:	1 ED
Pages:	192
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 6.25(h) x 0.73(d)

About the Author

June Cotner is the author of the celebrated Graces, Bedside Prayers, Get Well Wishes, Animal Blessings and Family Celebrations. She lives with her husband, two wayward dogs, and two stray cats in Poulsbo, Washington, just outside of Seattle.

Read an Excerpt

IF YOU CAN

If you can start the day without caffeine,
If you can get going without pep pills,
If you can resist complaining and boring people with
your troubles,
If you can eat the same food every day and be
grateful for it,
If you can understand when your loved ones are too
busy to give you any time,
If you can overlook it when something goes wrong
through no fault of yours and those you love
take it out on you,
If you can take criticism and blame without
resentment,
If you can ignore a friend's limited education and
never correct him,
If you can resist treating a rich friend better than a
poor friend,
If you can face the world without lies and deceit,
If you can conquer tension without medical help,
If you can relax without liquor,
If you can sleep without the aid of drugs,
If you can honestly say that deep in your heart you
have no prejudice against creed, color, religion,
or politics,
Then, my friends, you are almost as good as your dog.

-Author unknown

IN DEER COUNTRY

Part leaf, part shade,
they stand beside the road,
and we are foreign. Out there
at the edge of the clearing,
some drift into the sun,
faces lowered to crop clover,
backs flecked with light.

In deer country, they live
in their own time; even running,
their limbs flow softly into grass,
their bodies weave like water.
They are the old way
of moving on the Earth.

-Penny Harter

TIME TO SAY GOOD-BYE

As we lay our hands upon you,
Before your final rest,
Our hearts surround to love you,
And thank you for yourbest.
Our home you watched and treasured,
Our lives you truly blessed.

Lessening now your burdens,
We tend your tired bones.
Let us be your pillow,
Then wings to take you home.
Listen for God's calling,
Sweet promises of peace.
Old friend, leap to Heaven,
Suffering released!

-Annie Dougherty

THE LOVE THEY GIVE US

Not only is there always another good animal in need of a good home, but we must remember to be thankful for the time and love our animals give us while they are here. Take time to enjoy them and learn from them. As painful as it is to lose them, they teach us to love unselfishly, they teach us to live each day to the fullest, they teach us how to grow old gracefully, and they teach us how to die with dignity. We do them a disrespect to focus only on the sorrow of their death when they have given us so much joy through their life. If we wish to honor them, take what they have given us, all that love, and give it back to another animal in need of help.

-Kent C. Greenough

Table of Contents

	A Letter to Readers	xv
	Thanks	xix
1	Dogs	1
	What I Learned from My Dog	3
	I Would Be	5
	Welcome Home, New Puppy	6
	Making a House a Home	7
	Faithful Companion	8
	Just My Dog	10
	We Really Never Own a Dog	12
	Loyal Friend	13
	A Perfect Gentleman	14
	Old Friends	15
	Old Black Lab in the First Snow	16
	Scratch a Dog	17
	Devotion	18
	Comfort	19
	A Dog's Prayer	20
	Folks Will Know	22
	A Dog's Acceptance	23
	If You Can	24
2	Cats	27
	Cats Make Us Feel Good	29
	Magician	30
	Peace Keeper	31
	Time Spent Watching a Cat	32
	The Difference Between Dogs and Cats	33
	Basic Rules for Cats Who Have a House to Run	34
	The Cat	37
	Psalm for a Cat Owner	38
	Companion	39
	The King of Cats Sends a Postcard to His Wife	40
	On a Cat, Aging	41
	Room for One More	42
	Cat from the Animal Shelter	43
	Cat-Haiku-Esque-Poem	44
	I Will Always Remember	45
	Passerby	46
	A Question	48
	Stray Cat	49
	Cats as Teachers	50
3	Other Animals	51
	A Fieldmouse's Prayer	53
	All God's Creatures	55
	Three Little Fish	57
	Grace	58
	A Pony's Prayer	60
	Last Chance	61
	The First of May	66
	Midwife to Miracles	67
	On Guardian Angels	68
	In the Presence of Angels	69
	Home Delivery	70
	Bird Mother	71
	Birds Make Great Sky-Circles	72
	The Communion of Saints	73
	Deer Domain	74
	In Deer Country	76
	The Grasshopper and the Cricket	77
	Atlantic Dolphins	78
	In a Moonlit Night	80
	Again, Frogs	81
	Bee! I'm Expecting You!	82
	The Good Life	83
4	Partings	85
	Time to Say Good-bye	87
	Mourning the Death of a Pet	88
	Long Lost ... Long Remembered	89
	Prayer for a Pet's Memorial Service	90
	Prayer for the Burial of a Bird	91
	Funeral Prayer	92
	Farewell, Old Friend	94
	An Epitaph	95
	Passing On	96
	At the Grave of a Fine Cat	97
	A Memorial for a Pet	98
	In the Loss of Your Pet	99
	A Dog Lover's Prayer	100
	Dogs in Heaven?	102
	Friends in the Great Beyond	103
	The Love They Give Us	104
	Northwest Indian Memorial on Death	105
5	Reflections	107
	If Having a Soul	109
	Do Animals Have Souls?	110
	They Shall Teach Thee	112
	Ethical Conduct	113
	Love Animals	114
	Hurt No Living Thing	115
	Moral Progress	116
	Living Holy	117
	A True Perspective	118
	Animals Are Such Agreeable Friends	119
	I Think I Could Turn and Live with the Animals	120
	To Portland Cement from Robert Frost	121
	Contemplation	122
	Child's Lesson	123
	Dream Time	124
	All Things Are Connected	126
	The Animals Never Yell at Me	127
	An Animal's Eyes	128
	The Peace of Wild Things	129
	If I Knew the Ways of Animals	130
	God's Special Providence	132
	God in All Things	133
	Talk to the Animals	134
	In Their Innocence and Wisdom	135
	Prayer for an Ill Pet	136
	To Be of Service	137
	Why Do I Care So Much?	138
	Compassion	140
	Until One Has Loved an Animal	141
	We All Belong to the Same Family	142
	Respect for Life	143
	All Things Bright and Beautiful	144
6	Inspiration	145
	A Prayer for the Feast of St. Francis	147
	Animal Blessing for the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi	148
	A Prayer for a Pet Blessing	150
	A Prayer for Animals	151
	I Sing for the Animals	152
	A Prayer for Protecting Animals	153
	Blessings	154
	Buddhist Prayer	155
	A Blessing for a Child's New Pet	156
	In Appreciation of the Family Pet	157
	Rainforest Life	158
	Blessings in All Directions	159
	Hear Our Humble Prayer	161
	Author Index	163
	Permissions and Acknowledgments	165
	Photo Credits	168

What People are Saying About This

Marty Becker

"Animal Blessings showcases the joys and rewards of sharing our lives fully with animals. This book is an incredible tapestry of stirring prayers and poems. This book caused me to look at my pets, my patients and all of nature with a newfound understanding and appreciation!"--(Marty Becker, DVM, Veterinary Contributor for ABC TV's Good Morning America and Co-author of Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul and Chicken Soup for the Cat & Dog Lover's Soul)

Ingrid Newkirk

"Delightful, moving!"--(Ingrid Newkirk, Founder and President, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA))

Hansen Mark Victor

"Bless yourself with love, joy, and inspiration by reading Animal Blessings!"--(Mark Victor Hansen, Co-author of Chicken Soup for the Soul series)

Paul G. Irwin

"June Cotner has written a book which people who care for animals will find inspiring, enlightening, and encouraging. For once a book is aptly titled and delivers a diversity of blessings . . . this book lives up to its name!"--(Paul G. Irwin, President and CEO, The Humane Society of the United States)

Editorial Reviews

Bless yourself with love, joy, and inspiration by reading Animal Blessings!

Mark Victor Hanson

...an adorable collection of special thoughts on our animal friends.

USA Today

Animal Blessings: Prayers and Poems Celebrating Our Pets is an adorable collection of special thoughts on our animal friends. Here one can find consoling, memorial prayers and inspiring tributes.
— USA Today

Carol Memmott