Obituary of Isis Hopper

The time comes. A Siberian Husky lifts up its head.

There is an untested adventure beyond. Time to go.

Across the Rainbow Bridge is a place for all dogs.

A river runs wide and shallow with tennis balls that fly with their own wings;

That is the place for a Labrador or Golden to await its master's arrival.

 

The Siberian is not content here. Northward is its trail.

 

There are soft pastures for Aussies and Border Collies, with sheep and geese to pen.

Agility equipment grows like trees amid Frisbees and flyball.

 

But the North continues its sure wild call,

And the Siberian's journey continues.

 

Now the air is colder. Now the moon is always full.

Now the light is silver and it breaks and shimmers on fields of bright snow.

 

Now there are no roads, no walls, no pens, just endless space to run.

This is where Siberians gather, North of the Rainbow Bridge.

 

They wait in this beautiful place, happy, but not complete.

Suddenly, a howl begins, as one dog senses someone coming,

Someone very special.

 

All the Siberians raise their heads and join in the ancient chorus.

They dance like moonbeams and sing like winter winds.

 

There are red ones like dawn streaks, black ones splattered with many colors

And silver ones like the first strange hour before light.

They line up as if in harness and run together,

In a scintillating, many-colored streak.

 

The leader of the team guides the others past the fields

And river, with racing feet and racing heart.

They rush to greet the new arrival at the Rainbow Bridge

Where the leader is rejoined with its beloved person, never to be parted again.

 

The glory of the reunion is celebrated by all

The Siberians dwelling beyond the Bridge,

A glimmering, multicolored team leaping and whirling with joy.

 

The light from that scene is what we see on magical evenings

In the northernmost parts of this Earth:

The Aurora Borealis, the Northern Lights beyond the Rainbow Bridge.