The Animals in Our Lives

About four-hundred years ago, John Donne wrote a poem entitled “The Flea,” and over two-hundred years ago, “The Tyger” by William Blake was published. Both poems had to do with encountering various forms of nature in our lives. However, “The Flea” had more to do with the nature of marriage and “The Tyger” with the nature of God.

 

In the Introduction to The Animals in Our Lives, editor-writer-publisher Catherine Lawton offers this insight:

 

“Sometimes animals are mirrors for us to see ourselves more clearly.”

 

She also reminds us:

 

• Animals are our fellow creatures, loved by the Creator.
• Animals can provide companionship, inspiration, and comfort.
• Animals can teach us about the Creator and how to relate to God.
• Animals provide metaphors of our lives that help us understand ourselves.
• Animals (especially those in the wild) represent elements of Mystery.

 

In these turbulent, often scary, times, directing our attention onto animals of all kinds gives us a positive focus that helps us to realign with God’s prayer for all peoples to take care of the earth.

Published by Cladach Publishing, who kindly sent me a writer’s copy, this new anthology can help us to regain our perspective, our commitment, and our hope through the essays, stories, and poems about engaging with animals from these diverse categories:

 

Our Dogs – from show dogs to trained therapists

Our Cats – from strays to guardian angels

Our Farm Animals – from sheep to prayer circles of cows

Our Unusual Pets – from crickets and honeybees to hedgehogs and reptiles

Our Wild Animal Encounters – from dolphins to bears and elks to owls

 

What a special showcase of creatures, great and small! May God help us to take care of them and remind us how they take care of us.

 

 

©2021, Mary Harwell Sayler, reviewer, poet-writer of PRAISE! published by Cladach Publishing

 

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