The Bus to San Simon

"David Dayton has devised a lucid and serene mysticism of the real. Time and again in these poems he connects self, fellows, Earth, universe, past and present, employing a vigorous imagery, asserting a self of arresting wholeness that thinks, feels and risks knowing." -- Poet and editor Patricia Wilcox, reviewing Dayton's first book of poems, The Lost Body of Childhood. This long-awaited second collection contains 36 poems arranged in four "playlists" unified by themes, places, and prevailing moods. Conversational yet artfully cadenced, with wit and apt imagery, these poems spin small stories marked by memorable details, dry wit, empathy, and joy. The final playlist, "There You Are," contains seven poems about Dayton's life in a village on the outskirts of Mexico City where both his children were born. The prevailing mood is gently wry and at times imbued with transcendent gratitude for the luck, pluck, and bonds of love that sustain him.