Dayton Daydreams Poem by Joseph Heimer

Dayton coughs up smoggy dreams
Which hang heavy on the air.
A shaft of sooty sunlight seems
To smoulder-dirty, dark and fair;
Enchanting traffic lights change
In mesmerizing hues of meaning,
Prismatic tableaus of infinite range.
Oh, rejoice in Dayton's daily dregs:
The syrupy oil draining in the street,
The wrappers of half-gnawed chicken legs
And garish garbage at your feet.
Hear the glorious symphony of sirens,
The threnody of crashing window panes
And the savory screams of accident victims
As the Dayton daydream dims.
Oh, Dayton daydreams bright
Display your panorama of light
To those who would indulge the night
Night to day, fading into sight
Of dreary Dayton daydreams bright.


Joseph Heimer,1989