Sheltie Angels Among Us - Loving Words Page One

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They Gain their Wings and Learn To Fly
Poetry and artwork copyright L. M. Crane, 1998

18 stars burn bright,
tonight in the evening sky,
18 souls were lost...
18 wonderful stars.
i look into the heavens,
and to my amazement the stars form a sheltie.
in the middle of the stars,
sits Rainbow Bridge,
the place where these babies are now.
18 new stars fill the sky with light,
as 18 souls play and wait
til the day where they'll be with their owners again.
remember to hug your babies tight,
and kiss them good night.
cause one day a new star will be added to the sheltie.
until then, never forget to look for the 18
stars in the night's sky.
and if you look hard enough,
you might see the sheltie smile,
as all shelties do.

The Dogs Who Share Our Lives
contributed by Debbie Goad, Silver Dust Shelties

They will not go quietly,
the dogs who share our lives
In subtle ways they let us know,
their spirit still survives

Old habits still make us think
we hear a bark at the door,
or step back when we
drop a tasty morsel on the floor.

Our feet still go around the place
the food dish used to be,
and sometimes, coming home at night,
we miss them terribly

And although time may bring new friends
and a new food dish to fill,
that one place in our hearts belongs to them...
and always will.

The Angels are among us,
swirling gently round our feet
Sparkling eyes shine just like stars,
coats soft, they smell so sweet.
Like new mown hay in summer dew
or leaves burning in the fall
A fragrance triggers memories;
but I stop before I call.
The one I'd call has gone away
to the Rainbow Bridge named place
I'd forgotten in my heart of hearts
I can no longer kiss her face.
Heart in tatters, I break down,
face buried in my hands
And sob for those who've gone ahead
into that Rainbow Land.
But while I sit in misery
a warmth wraps all around
My inner being and warms my heart
as I sit on the cold ground.
Feather soft breeze brushes by,
caressing cheek and skin
Tears are gone - I feel at peace,
sadness gone upon the wind.
See, we are never left alone,
though times it feels that way
The misty shadows once known to us
keep all dark things at bay.
Guarding those they've left behind
though they're no longer seen
Is a job they do with love and care -
away, they've never been.
Walking with our every step,
with us all throughout the night
Our little angel guardians
hold us always in their sight.
So if you're lost and feel alone,
you just can't keep the pace
With problems in your home or job:
Just think about their face
Then raise your head and whistle out
into the sky and bide
Your special Angel will be right there,
forever by your side.

Eighteen Dogs, 10/18/99

The Sheltie World joins me in praying for the 18 dogs
(almost all Shelties) who died in a fiery automobile accident
late on October 17, 1999. We know that they are now safely
at THE BRIDGE. It is to their grieving Owners and Dottie
Adkins their Friend and Handler that we now offer our love
and support.

Mary E. Couzens, Wabeek Shelties
Writing for many people.

A Parting Prayer
written & copyrighted: Brandy Duckworth, 1998
Suggested by Ann Neftin, Lassen Shelties

Dear Lord, please open your gates
and call St. Francis
to come escort this beloved companion
across the Rainbow Bridge.
Assign her to a place of honor,
for she has been a faithful servant
and has always done her best to please me.
Bless the hands that send her to you,
for they are doing so in love and compassion,
freeing her from pain and suffering.
Grant me the strength not to dwell on my loss.
Help me remember the details of her life
with the love she has shown me.
And grant me the courage to honor her
by sharing those memories with others.
Let her remember me as well
and let her know that I will always love her.
And when it's my time to pass over into your paradise,
please allow her to accompany those
who will bring me home.
Thank you, Lord,
for the gift of her companionship
and for the time we've had together.
and thank you, Lord,
for granting me the strength
to give her to you now.
Amen.

As much as I loved the life we had and all the time we played,
I was so very tired and knew my time on Earth would fade.
I saw a wondrous image then of a place that's trouble free
Where all of us can meet again to spend eternity.

I saw the most beautiful rainbow, and on the other side
Were meadows rich and beautiful - lush and green and wide!
And running through these meadows, as far as the eye could see
Were animals of every sort as healthy as could be!

My own tired, failing body was fresh and healed and new
And I wanted to run with them, but I had something left to do.
I needed to reach out to you, to tell you I'm all right,
That this place is truly wonderful, then a bright glow pierced the night.

'Twas the glow of many candles shining bright and strong and bold
And I knew then that it held your love in its brilliant shades of gold.
For although we may not be together in the way we used to be,
We are still connected by a cord that no eye can see.

So whenever you need to find me, we're never far apart
If you look beyond the rainbow and listen with your heart,
Forever beyond the rainbow, we'll always be near.
Love and miss you throughout the years.

I Love You This Much
Written by Penny Cary
Suggested by Colleen Gentilcore, Suntera Shelties

When you were just a pup, and you were new to home and heart, I used to laugh so hard and pick you up and hold you squirming and struggling in my arms and whisper to you "I love you this much."

I laughed as you tried to rid yourself of those pesky tapes and watched as you struggled through the puppy stuff, and mostly I didn't mind for I knew that puddles turned to piddles, and piddles would soon pass.

I even managed to grin when you decided that our house should be free of all wood products, and we fought constantly to decide who was right about the crate. I guess you were because I cannot imagine not having you at the foot of my bed at night. I don't know how I would have made it from room to room without your guidance or stood erect without your silken head to rest my hands on, but then, I never had to.

And I smiled a lot as you grew and decided that squirrels were indeed evil, and that there was no really good reason for cats; that every dog in the neighborhood posed a potential threat and needed to be sent packing.

And I was delighted when you discovered children, and you found they were much like you - they liked to run; they liked to play; and there was an endless quality to the day when they were around.

And when you gave me my first CD, I smiled then, too, even though it was you who led the way or dawdled behind to visit at ringside to see if someone else would step in to complete the routine.

You and I as adults together developed a deep and abiding respect for one another. Your constant devotion made life's valleys a little less deep, and there were times when I needed you: to listen, to love and to lick away the tears... and you were always there.

You liked Chinese food, spaghetti and cheese. Lettuce and pickles and heartworm pills were for other dogs. We adventured, you and I. We camped, we fished, we hiked, and we played ball. Oh, did we play ball.

And through all those years, you gave so much, and I could only hold you in my arms at the end of each day, and we'd both smile, and I would whisper "I love you this much."

And now we've come to this. I don't believe I have the strength to say goodbye, but you tell me it's time. Neither one of us has smiled in a very long time, and the only part of you that doesn't indicate pain is your stubby little tail. I cried when the doctor told me, and I railed against the Powers That Be, and all the platitudes in the world and all the comforting friends can't make up for the undeniable fact that you will no longer be with me. And I don't think I can do this. I envy those with ones who passed so quickly. The shock must numb the grief.

But now, as I have done so many, many times before through so many, many years, I fold you in my arms, lay my head upon your velvet cheek, and whisper one last time, "I love you this much."

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