Checking their watches by the radium glow,
three dogs salivate same time each night.
Pavlov rings them up with news.
Pound is down. Old bones in Sahara found.
Ears perk. Tails wag. Notes are taken,
lab coats washed and dried. "We tried,"
say the working hounds, knowing humans
respond well to their deliberate behavior.
"But our mouths are dry," they growl,
and ring the bell for water.