(00) Saint Francis Is Here! Rejoice In His Love! Poem by Leeanndra O'Lear

Come, gentle creatures, assemble as one -
Loosen your leashes and joyfully run
To the light which abides
In the house of the Lord.
Your moment has come! The Lion has roared!

Calicos, Parakeets, Siamese, all -
Heed to the sound of St. Francis’s call;
Chirp in the aisles! Meow in the pews!
Bellow a chorus of twitters and mews!

Gather orangutans, ferrets and newts -
Hear ye the song of St. Francis’s flutes...?
Calling from Heaven to summon you near..?
Listen at once, for his message is clear:

Sacred are elephants, buffalo, bats,
Butterflies, ladybugs, spiders and rats;
Sacred are tortoises, guinea pigs, voles,
Wildebeests, porcupines, camels and moles;

Holy are animals covered in fuzz;
Blessed are beings who flutter and buzz;
Hallowed are creatures encrusted with scales;
Righteous are mammals with sinewy tails.

Welcome, wee critters, from over the land!
Enter the chapel; the time is at hand
To be touched by the warmth
Of a soul from above.
St. Francis is here! Rejoice in his love!