A poem about our relationship to animals

As I have written before, my worldview is informed by my Heathen beliefs.

I wrote this poem as a bit of "myth-making" to try and explain for myself why we brought some animals into our homes and into our hearts.

My style is an approximation of ancient Anglo-Saxon Skaldic form, 4 line stanzas of (2) 4 beat half lines.   The cadence is similar to how one reads Longfellow's "Song of Hiawatha," whic he modeled after the "Kalevala" of Finnish tradition.

To the House Companions - 12 March 2001

The gods looked down           saw man alone
Though other men                 companions were
Lonely in crowd                      felt not full joy
Some little place                     in heart unfilled

The old ones thought             this should not be
For man we made                   in sexes two
To be complete                       in bond of love
A riddle here                           which we should solve

One did come down                to visit dream
To winkle out                           this puzzlement
And found within                      the heart of man
Unlooked for depth                 of heart’s caress

He returned home                   to fellow gods
His mind awhirl                        at knowledge gained
This man we made                  he did proclaim
Is vast inside                           his heart of hearts

Then in council                       the gods did sit
And thought they did               both long and hard
And words did fly                    round riddle deep
Unlooked for thing                  in man they found

Then old one wise                  looked in her heart
And found within                     this depth also
She spoke of this                    to godly band
Since man is ours                   this should be so

Then others there                   looked inside too
And saw the sight                    which she had seen
And knew at once                   what they must do
And sent a thought                 to mannish mind

And so did man                       an idea gain
To bring to hearth                  companions furred
To fill that spot                       in depth of heart
To be complete                      and feel full joy