long gone

the collars
on the hook
indicate
dogs gone. long gone.
tags, still
on, the little brass name
plates dulled
over time.
their leashes too,
hang free.
a dog dish, one
for water, one for food,
both bone
dry, on a shelf
now,
unreached.
a rubber ball, a shoe once
chewed,
a bed,
rounded and soft,
still
with the hair
they shed.