Rainbow Bridge poem author

In the U.S. and UK, hundreds and thousands of animal hospitals and offices have a kind way to help comfort grieving pet owners who have lost their pets. They often give them a poem called Rainbow Bridge. The poem describes a beautiful animal heaven in which the pets are incredibly happy in the sky after crossing a rainbow bridge and are waiting for your return. This famous poem had been authorless for many years. This was until recently when the author was discovered, her name is Edna Clyne-Rekhy she is an 82-year-old Scottish artist and animal lover. She didn’t even notice her poems’ popularity. Who has gone and explored all over the world. She was discovered by Paul Koudounaris, after finding the original poem. In the beginning when looking for the author of the poem he researched pet cemeteries and was often recommended to read the Rainbow bridge after reading it and looking it over he decided it was one of the most important texts on animal mourning. Koudounaris would pin it to a 1994 advice column known as Dear Abby.

A reader told her she had received a copy of the Rainbow Bridge from her local Humane Society chapter in Grand Rapids, Michigan. After reading this Koudounaris worked out that there were 15 possible options for the authors who had filed at the United States Copyright Office, in which none of them resulted in being a legitimate poet. It would soon expand to 25 names in connection to the poem; he had determined that one, Edna Clyne- Rekny, would be the best option. In January 2023, Clyde-Rekhy received a strange phone call asking if she was the author of the Rainbow Bridge to which she answered “How on Earth did you find me?” Clyde would explain that she, at the age of 19, wrote the poem on grieving the loss of her Labrador, Major, who died in her arms. Her mother told her to write down how she was feeling. When Koudounaris ended up meeting her, he discovered that she still had the original handwritten poem. She told him how she had made copies and given them without her name to friends who had lost pets, before leaving for India, and Spain. In which the poem’s popularity blew up in the U.S. and UK. Clyde states “Can you imagine, Every vet in Britain has it!”

If you would like to read the poem here is the poem;
“Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge. When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, your pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water, and sunshine, and friends are warm and comfortable. All the animals who have been ill and old are restored to health and strength, those who were hurt made better and strong again, like we remember them before they go to heaven. They are happy and content except for one small thing– they each miss someone very special to them who had to be left behind. They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks in the distance. His bright eyes are shining, his body shakes. Suddenly he begins to run from the herd, rushing over to the grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cuddle in a happy hug never to be apart again. You and your pet are in tears. Your hands again cuddle his head and you look again into his trusting eyes, so long gone from life, but never absent from your heart, and then you cross the Rainbow Bridge together.” – By Edna Clyde Rekhy.