The Hasidic disciples of Maggid of Mezritch noted that their teacher went to the pond every day at dawn and stayed there for a little while before returning home. One of his followers explained that he was learning the song with which the frogs praise God.
William Cleary, the author of 12 books on prayer and spirituality, follows in this spirit. His attentiveness to birds, insects, fish, fowl, and other animals has expanded his repertoire of devotional practices. In this collection of 40 prayer-poems by various wild things, critters are our spiritual teachers. An eel challenges us to shock people, a fox shows us how to be a saint for a day, a hawk moves us to a higher perspective, and a whale counsels us to enjoy life as it is.
Anthony de Mello once observed: "Wonder is at the heart of contemplation." Cleary demonstrates how we can pray without words and like the animals rejoice in the great adventure of the flesh.