If he guessed I was going beyond
the Asphodel Meadows,
he may alert Hades.
And that would not do.
Inside the game I gave him
there must be a sleeping potion.
When I Went to See Cerberus Now
he was always happy to see me.
His long tail thumped so hard
on the ground that it made
the ground quake under me.
I smiled at his three large faces,
still unsure which one to look at,
but all three were lowering themselves
in my direction, hoping for a pat.
The lesson the kind-eyed boy
had given me stayed with me.
As I thought of him, I felt a pang,
wondering if I would see him again.
I stroked each soft snout gently
and told Cerberus, ‘Good dog,’
then I pulled out the three pieces
of enchanted game from
my worn leather satchel
and placed them on the ground.
As he snacked and his eyes began to close,
I quietly moved to the gleaming light
that spilled between those
stone doors
and pushed them hard.
