Welcome

Thank you very much for keeping books,
Upon your mantelpiece and in your nooks,
Tucked inside your desk and on your table,
To browse through any time that you are able.

A bestiary is a kind of book,
Full of diverse creatures, have a look,
At reptiles, mammals —
                  hoofed, winged and aquatic;
Backyard bugs and insects most exotic.

So human-like, the creatures oft’ will lend,
Themselves as living-lessons for the end,
Of learning, through their happiness or strife,
Truths about the higher things in life.

So if a Bat flies down your chimney, nightly,
Just open up the door for it, politely,
And if it flies away, don’t be alarmed,
Its great respect for you will go unharmed.

And if you see a Hippo in your pool,
Don’t be alarmed, it loves to keep its cool.
Or if an Ostrich strolls across your yard,
Be kind to it, that isn’t very hard.

For God reveals, and nature is displayed,
And God is known through everything He’s made,
And though we’re made uniquely in His form,
We share the same Creator as the worm.

So come along, Dear Reader, come along,
Rise up in poetry, rejoice in song;
All creatures, from the noblest to the least,
Reveal the goodness found in every beast!

Now, welcome to this blessed bestiary,
A zoo of words where animals run free,
May ever you enjoy each antique fable,
Placed near by, upon the family table!