"The Gentleman GSD"
When I was a child, my father always jumped to move the phonograph needle to the next
song on one of Elvis Presley's record albums. The song, "Old Shep", made
me cry no matter how old I eventually became. Now, I reflect upon this. I
wonder if I would have believed then that I would have a dog like the one in the
song. Would I have believed that I would have to face the inevitable much like the
man in the song eventually had to? I count myself lucky that I *did* have a dog like this. |
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"Old
Shep"
(Words & Music by Foley - Westpar)
When I was a lad
And old Shep was a pup
Over hills and meadows we'd stray
Just a boy and his dog
We were both full of fun
We grew up together that way
I remember the time at the old swimmin' hold
When I would have drowned beyond doubt
But old Shep was right there
To the rescue he came
He jumped in and then pulled me out
As the years fast did roll
Old Shep he grew old
His eyes were fast growing dim
And one day the doctor looked at me and said
I can do no more for him Jim
With hands that were trembling
I picked up my gun
And aimed it at Shep's faithful head
I just couldn't do it
I wanted to run
I wish they would shoot me instead
He came to my side
And looked up at me
And laid his old head on my knee
I had struck the best friend that a man ever had
I cried so I scarcely could see
Old Shep he has gone
Where the good doggies go
And no more with old Shep will I roam
But if dogs have a heaven
There's one thing I know
Old Shep has a wonderful home
*****
"Of
German Shepherds and Archangels"
Someone once said that cats are angels in fur coats.
Any self-respecting cat I know would, like Dorothy Parker, "frow up"
if you told him that.
But it might be true of dogs.
Golden retrievers wear their heavenly robes for all to see,
Cocker spaniels have lovely wings that sweep the ground
And poodles, halos.
But you, my love--
when I look in your eyes,
Archangels look back:
Like the mighty Defender, Michael,
great spirit of Fire,
you rise up to protect me,
a living blade;
you burn away the darkness within,
the dangers without.
Like the mighty Healer, Raphael,
great spirit of the Air,
the wind of your joy
carries me beyond despair
into the far reaches of possibility,
the fields of inspiration.
Like the mighty Herald, Gabriel,
calm spirit of the Waters,
you watch me with deep madonna's eyes.
Your devotion quenches a long thirst,
like living water welling forth
across some parched and lonely land
Like mighty Uriel,
dark and tender spirit of Earth,
you show me the divine Light
beyond this shadowed path;
you walk beside me, a living example of
charitas and grace.
Sometimes you forget--
bound in fleshly form,
confounded by earthly restraints,
you sleep in quiescent beauty.
But then you wake,
with eternity in your eyes,
and bring me back to God.
J.L. Hardin
Nov, 1995
***
"Angel Dogs"
When dogs go to heaven, they don't need wings because God knows
that dogs love running best. He gives them fields. Fields and fields and fields. When a
dog first arrives in heaven, he just runs. Dog heaven has clear, wide lakes filled with
geese that honk and flap and tease. The dogs love this. They run beside the water and bark
and bark and God watches them from behind a tree and smiles.
There are children. Of course. Angel children. God knows that dogs love children more than
anything else in the world, so he fills Dog Heaven with plenty of them. There are children
on bikes and children on sleds. There are Children throwing red rubber balls and children
pulling kites through the clouds. The dogs are there, and the children love them dearly.
And, oh, the dog biscuits. Biscuits and biscuits as far as the eye can see. God has a
sense of humor, so He makes His biscuits in funny shapes for His dogs. There are kitty-cat
biscuits and squirrel biscuits. Ice-cream biscuits and ham-sandwich biscuits. Every
angel who passes by has a biscuit for a dog.
And, of course, all God's dogs sit when the angels say "sit." Every dog becomes
a good dog in Dog Heaven.
God turns clouds inside out to make fluffy beds for the dogs in Dog Heaven, and when they
are tired from running and barking and eating ham-sandwich biscuits, the dogs find a cloud
bed for sleeping. They turn around and around in the cloud... until it feels just right,
and then they curl up and they sleep. God watches over each one of them. And there are no
bad dreams.
Dogs in Dog Heaven have almost always belonged to somebody on Earth and, of course, the
dogs remember this. Heaven is full of memories. So sometimes an angel will walk a dog back
to Earth for a little visit and quietly, invisibly, the dog will sniff about his old
backyard, will investigate the cat next door, will follow the child to school, will sit on
the front porch and wait for the mail. When he is satisfied that all is well, the dog will
return to Heaven with the angel. It is where dogs belong, near God who made them.
The dogs in Dog Heaven who had no real homes on Earth are given one in Heaven. The homes
have yards and porches and there are couches to lie on and tables to sit under while
angels eat their dinners. There are special bowls with the dogs' names
on them. And each dog is petted and reminded how good he is, all day long.
Dogs in Dog Heaven may stay as long as they like and this can mean forever. They will be
there when old friends show up. They will be there at the door. Angel dogs.
"Dog Heaven" written by Cynthia Rylant, Blue Sky
Press, c. 1995. |
