Shel Silverstein

Daylight Dreamer

Daylight Dreamer - meaning Summary

Projects Without Completion

The poem lists a series of abandoned projects and impulse purchases to portray a speaker who dreams big but never finishes. Through casual, conversational anecdotes and a repeating refrain, the narrator admits to perennial starts, trades, and good intentions while accepting procrastination and distraction. The ending’s faltering, comic monologue—breaking off for a sandwich and comics—underscores the speaker’s genial self-awareness and resignation to creative incompletion.

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Here's the half-finished painting of a girl that I started last December Here's the first three pages of my novel bout I don't really remember Here's my Martin guitar that I never quite learned how to play That's the daylight dreamer wishful thinker's way I had a Harley bike but I traded it off to a feller For the Astroglass boat that's still sittin down in my cellar I bought a tape recorder and found I had nothin' to say That's the daylight dreamer wishful thinker's way I got an exercise machine man I'd be glad to let you try it This well it's a Leika Camera maybe you'd like to buy it I can get you a real good deal I just need enough money to buy myself some modeling clay Yeah that's the daylight dreamer wishful thinker's way On the day that I die they'll be talking about the dearly departed And they'll say he never ever finished nothin' that he started But I started this song man I'm gonna finish it today Yeah that's the daylight dreamer (How was it...daylight...oh wish...wishful...think...what were it... I forgot I forgot the words Listen... anyway... why don't we just take a break and finish it later you know Cause I could sure use a sandwich I wanna get myself a BLT or something And listen... right near the restaurant there's a great old bookstore. Right near the restaurant They got all these great old books... great old comic books...they got Batman)

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