The Parable of Loyalty, Love, and Gratitude

by Alexey A. Shirokov

From beneath my coat I drew one day
A little orphan left astray.
I turned to my old cat and said,
"Take him in, let love be spread.

Raise him well and keep him near;
Guard his heart from want and fear.
For faithful friends, both great and small,
Should never be abandoned at all."

The old cat seemed to understand;
He gently took the pup in hand.
He taught him all a dog should know,
With patient love that helped him grow.

He showed him how to lap his milk,
So calm and smooth, as soft as silk;
And when the little one would plead,
To ask outdoors for every need.

The puppy grew with every day,
He learned to find his clever way.
Soon with his paw he'd open doors—
A noble dog, admired by all.

The years flew past like autumn wind;
No clock can hold the march of time.
One quiet dawn beneath the pine,
I found my faithful cat reclined.

He lay in peace upon the ground;
No gentle purr, no living sound.
His amber eyes no longer shone—
My dear old friend had journeyed on.

And Mukhtar grieved for Murzik's loss
With all the love no words can voice.
For seven days he would not play;
His faithful heart had turned to gray.

Then one bright morning, to my door,
He came with something never seen before:
A tiny kitten in his jaws,
Held with gentleness and care.

His loving eyes seemed thus to say:
"This little one is mine today.
Do not fear, my master's friend;
I'll guard him to the very end.

Once I was helpless, weak and small;
An old wise cat gave me his all.
He warmed my heart, he showed the way;
His love still lives in me today.

Now what I gladly once received
Must not be buried, lost, or leave.
Love's greatest gift is this alone—
To pass it on when we have grown."

So Mukhtar raised the little cat,
Just as the old cat once had done.
For kindness, planted deep within,
Can bloom in every faithful one.

And thus the circle never ends:
Love gives us family, not just friends.
The truest hearts leave gifts above—
A living legacy of love.

© Alexey A. Shirokov
Kyiv, Ukraine July 18, 2026