Voice of the Voiceless

[jdj]

since someone posted the Alber Schweitzer "Prayer for Animals" I thought I would post a few stanzas of this poem, it's the most beautiful animal rights poem I have ever read, and it is quite long, so here are the first three stanzas and a link to the rest:

"Voice of the Voiceless" by Ella Wheeler Wilcox

I am the voice of the voiceless:
Through me, the dumb shall speak;
Till the deaf world's ear be made to hear
The cry of the wordless weak.
From street, from cage, and from kennel,
From jungle and stall, the wail
Of my tortured kin proclaims the sin
Of the mighty against the frail.

I am a ray from the centre;
And I will feed God's spark,
Till a great light glows in the night and shows
The dark deeds done in the dark.
And full on the thoughtless sleeper
Shall flash its glaring flame,
Till he wakens to see what crimes may be
Cloaked under an honoured name.

The same force formed the sparrow
That fashioned Man, the King;
The God of the Whole gave a spark of soul
To each furred and feathered thing.
And I am my brother's keeper,
And I will fight his fight,
And speak the word for beast and bird,
Till the world shall set things right...

read the rest here:

http://www.all-creatures.org/poetry/voiceofthevoiceless2.html

[meti57b]

1. I like that poem very much ... thank you for posting!!

It looks like a great website ... i will plan to read through it.

[Rhiannon12866]

2. Thank you! That is truly lovely.

In fact, I'm pretty choked up. I'm going to pass this on to my amazing friend who's in animal rescue, who is responsible for my having adopted my precious Meneken and Sara. On second thought, she cries easily, but I know that she will love this, so I'll pass it on, anyway. Thank you.;(

[jdj]

3. I just read her bio and found that the famous quote "laugh, and the world

laughs with you, cry and you cry alone", comes from one of her poems, what a pleasant surprise.

"Solitude"
Ella Wheeler Wilcox

LAUGH, and the world laughs with you;
Weep, and you weep alone.
For the sad old earth must borrow it's mirth,
But has trouble enough of it's own.
Sing, and the hills will answer;
Sigh, it is lost on the air.
The echoes bound to a joyful sound,
But shrink from voicing care...

http://womenshistory.about.com/library/etext/bl_wilcox_solitude.htm

[Rhiannon12866]

4. I checked out this site, and I thank you for posting it

The following poem really touched me and I sent it to my two friends I've made in animal rescue, since they do such amazing work and so I'm grateful to them. Over the years, they each have both placed two beloved dogs with me, Barney and Samantha, Meneken and Sara. I owe them so much, as do the animals. This was really special to me:

More Than An Angel
From Animal Rights On-Line - Susan Roghair [e-mail] - 24 Sep 2000

The young pup and the older dog lay on
shaded sweet grass watching the reunions.

Sometimes a man, sometimes a woman,
sometimes a whole family would approach
the Rainbow Bridge, be greeted by their
loving pets and cross the bridge together.

The young pup playfully nipped at the older one.
"Look! Something wonderful is happening!"
The older dog stood up and barked,
"Quickly, get over to the path."

"That's not my owner," whined the pup,
but he did as he was told. Thousands of pets
surged forward as a figure in white
walked on the path toward the bridge.

After the glowing figure passed each animal,
that animal bowed it's head in love and respect.

The figure finally approached the bridge,
and was met by a menagerie of joyous animals.
Together, they walked over the bridge and disappeared.

The young pup was still in awe.
"Was that an angel?" he whispered.
"No, son," the older dog replied.
"That was more than an angel.
That was a person who worked rescue."

(Author Unknown)

[MoonRiver]

5. I love this poem! It has been on my refrigerator for years.

Every time I stop to read it again I :cry:.

[Rhiannon12866]

6. Thank you so much. I have two friends in animal rescue

Who have become friends because, over the years, each one has placed two dogs with me, and we've remained in touch. They do such wonderful and thankless work. And I found this amazing poem on your website that I sent to both of them. It made my one friend cry, but it made me cry, too. And I told her that she deserved it, since she finally managed to reunite a lost kitty with her family, just yesterday, and worked so hard to manage it.;(

More Than An Angel
From Animal Rights On-Line - Susan Roghair [e-mail] - 24 Sep 2000

The young pup and the older dog lay on
shaded sweet grass watching the reunions.

Sometimes a man, sometimes a woman,
sometimes a whole family would approach
the Rainbow Bridge, be greeted by their
loving pets and cross the bridge together.

The young pup playfully nipped at the older one.
"Look! Something wonderful is happening!"
The older dog stood up and barked,
"Quickly, get over to the path."

"That's not my owner," whined the pup,
but he did as he was told. Thousands of pets
surged forward as a figure in white
walked on the path toward the bridge.

After the glowing figure passed each animal,
that animal bowed it's head in love and respect.

The figure finally approached the bridge,
and was met by a menagerie of joyous animals.
Together, they walked over the bridge and disappeared.

The young pup was still in awe.
"Was that an angel?" he whispered.
"No, son," the older dog replied.
"That was more than an angel.
That was a person who worked rescue."

(Author Unknown)

[RebelOne]

7. It's a great Web site, but a little too much religion for me. n/t

[Rhiannon12866]

8. Me, too, but just read the poem from this site that I reprinted in

my previous post. I thought it was quite remarkable and touching, and applies to the friends I've made in animal rescue. It's not religious at all, nor is the friend I sent it to, who just reunited a missing kitty with her family, yesterday. She said it made her cry. I told her that I was sorry, and it made me cry, too. But this poem really expressed what those who are in rescue deserve, so I had to pass it on.;(

[Rhiannon12866]

9. My friend just sent me this heartbreaking and inspiring poem

And I thought it belonged on this thread.

I am an Animal Rescuer

My job is to assist God's creatures.
I was born with the drive to fulfill their needs.
I take in helpless, unwanted, homeless creatures,

without planning or selection.
I have bought dog food with my last dime,
I have patted a mangy head with a bare hand,
I have hugged someone vicious and afraid,
I have fallen in love a thousand times,
And I have cried into the fur of a lifeless body too many times to count.

I have Animal Friends and friends who have animal friends.
I don't often use the word "pet".
I notice those lost at the road side,
And my heart aches.
I will hand raise a field mouse,
And make friends with a vulture.
I know of no creature unworthy of my time.

I want to live forever if there aren't animals in Heaven,
But I believe there are.
Why would God make something so perfect and leave it behind ?
Some may think we are masters of the animals,
But the animals have mastered themselves.
Something people still haven't learned.

War and Abuse make me hurt for the world,
But a rescue that makes the news gives me hope for mankind.
We are a quiet but determined army,
And we are making a difference ever day.

There is nothing more necessary than warming an orphan,
nothing more rewarding than saving a life,
No higher recognition than watching them thrive.
There is no greater joy than seeing a baby play,
who only days ago, was too weak to eat

By the love of those who I've been privileged to rescue,

I have been rescued.

I know what true unconditional love really is,

for I've seen it shining in the eyes of so many

Grateful for so little.

I am an Animal Rescuer.
My work is never done,
My home is never quiet,
My wallet is always empty,
But my heart is always full.

[livinginphotographs]

10. Kick for Rhiannon.

That was awesome. Being the cynical bastard that I am, I usually don't get into things like that, but that was a great poem. Thank you for posting that.

[Rhiannon12866]

11. Thank you so much. I actually returned here to find another poem.

Some of the poems on this website are a bit brutal for me, though we all know how brutal life can be for many animals. But there was one that I found here which completely reflected my beliefs and was perfect for the two wonderful people in animal rescue who have placed dogs with me, who have both become my friends. It's a variation on "The Rainbow Bridge," and this is the poem I came back here to find. If you liked the other one, you'll love this one, cynic, or not.

Rhiannon:-)

More Than An Angel
From Animal Rights On-Line - Susan Roghair [e-mail] - 24 Sep 2000

The young pup and the older dog lay on
shaded sweet grass watching the reunions.

Sometimes a man, sometimes a woman,
sometimes a whole family would approach
the Rainbow Bridge, be greeted by their
loving pets and cross the bridge together.

The young pup playfully nipped at the older one.
"Look! Something wonderful is happening!"
The older dog stood up and barked,
"Quickly, get over to the path."

"That's not my owner," whined the pup,
but he did as he was told. Thousands of pets
surged forward as a figure in white
walked on the path toward the bridge.

After the glowing figure passed each animal,
that animal bowed it's head in love and respect.

The figure finally approached the bridge,
and was met by a menagerie of joyous animals.
Together, they walked over the bridge and disappeared.

The young pup was still in awe.
"Was that an angel?" he whispered.
"No, son," the older dog replied.
"That was more than an angel.
That was a person who worked rescue."

(Author Unknown)