Ballad of the Man and His Dog

There once was a man with a dog at his side,
Together they roamed, needing nothing but time.
And when their brief journey on earth had died,
Their souls rose as one through the darkness - to climb.

They came to the Gates, shining mighty and tall,
A stern Keeper stood with a sign in his hand:
“This is Heaven, where peace is granted to all,
But leave your dog — alone he must stand.”

Yet the man turned away, without word, without fear:
For loyalty’s worth is far more than the skies.
Though the road ahead lay with shadows unclear,
He walked with his dog through the dark and the cries.
For simple the wisdom his heart understood:
To never forsake one who stayed true and good.

They wandered through silence, through long weary days,
Till another gate shone with a gentler light.
No writing was carved, just a welcoming place,
And an old man was waiting, serene and kind.

“Forgive me,” he asked, “may I question you here?
Whose souls find their peace at these open doors near?”
“This is Heaven,” the old man replied with a nod,
“They call me Saint Peter — a servant of God.”

“And may I bring my dog?” the man softly pled.
“Of course, my dear friend, for no love here is banned.
No law shall divide what true hearts have wed —
Here loyalty’s crown is the law of the land.”

The man smiled in joy as his dog wagged his tail,
And golden light poured through the wide-open veil.
Behind them, far off, stood the glittering lies,
Where false gates deceived with their hollow disguise.

“That was Hell,” said the Saint, “built of trickery, pride.
Where those who betray are condemned to reside.
For only the faithful shall ever belong,
The ones who love truly, who prove with their song.
And only those hearts that are steadfast and true
Will find Heaven’s doors ever open to you.”

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You can listen to the poems at the link:

https://disk.yandex.ru/d/JPTkmMRbdLGrLQ