THE LOST DOGS
2. The Stray Dogs
C. The Found Dogs' Home
nothing matters except for wednesday's dog/ a
98% chance his robust life will be wiped out
by week's end/ by the animal-lover-pretenders
at the lost dogs' home/ this is not an 'animal
shelter' & there is no such thing as 'humane
destruction'/ here, we have truly lost dogs/ &
i didn't save him/ the truckie's dog/ looking
down from up on the tin/ it was the clearest
autumn day filled with his barking/ up there
like a white cloud looking down/ at home
three dogs are beside me/ sleeping on the
carpet/ i can only say i tried/ & that all dogs
in my care are living/ bobby is the newest
addition/ his floppy old ears point out: the
victory sign/ but my words mean nothing
if not accompanied by a good home/ for now
the memory of the truckie's dog left behind/
waiting for me or someone else until he dies/
i will live my life without his lovely presence/
as we all must/ closing our eyes to the kill/ &
in this way accepting it/ even to closed eyes
those dogs bark/ trying to piece it together/ this
odd outcome, strange abandonment, miserable
weather/ during the eight day period they bark
for their lives/ barking louder as they are left
behind/ so that you will never forget them/
even in this hour of suffering/ dog saliva is
on my fingers & my observations are of the
pleasure & goodness in dogs/ it is here, my
place is found/ amongst three perfectly saved
dogs/ in the collingwood found dogs' home |