For Riley, a Seeing Eye Dog
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A dog named Riley--may his tribe increase--
Well, he died one night in a deep dream of peace;
And he saw, as in moon-glow within the room
Making it rich and like a lily in bloom,
An angel writing in a book of gold.
Great peace in death made our friend so bold
As in canine speech he sweetly said:
"What are you writing, sir?" to which, with lifted head
And with an angel's look of great accord,
It said: "The names of those who love the Lord."
"And is mine one?" dear Riley asked.
"Nay, not so," Replied the angel.
Riley spoke more low,
But cheerily still, and said, "I pray thee then
Please write me as My Master's dearest friend."
The angel wrote, and vanished.
But then so soon It came again in blazing light of noon,
And showed the names whom love of God has blessed--
And lo! our Riley's name led all the rest! ~^*^~~~^*^~~~^*^~~~^*^~~~^*^~~~^*^~~~^*^~~~^*^~~~^*^~~~^*^~~~^*^~~~^*^~
"The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid....They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of he Lord, as the waters cover the sea." --Isaiah 11:6-9 ~^*^~~~^*^~~~^*^~~~^*^~~~^*^~~~^*^~~~^*^~~~^*^~~~^*^~~~^*^~~~^*^~~~^*^~
Our thanks to Leigh Hunt for the original poem suggesting the preceding. And may we here observe that great things are planned for the animal kingdom in the age to come. God has concern for the sparrow when it falls even today (Matt. 10:29, 31), and who can tell but that Prof. Donald Walhout of Rockford College, once owner of Riley, shall not again commune with his seeing eye dog, his faithful friend in this life, in that wonderful world to come? ~^*^~~~^*^~~~^*^~~~^*^~~~^*^~~~^*^~~~^*^~~~^*^~~~^*^~~~^*^~~~^*^~~~^*^~~~^*^~ jovans@comcast.net John Evans Jacksonville , FL USA