The Heidelberg Project

for Tyree Guyton

By Jimmie Smith Jr.

Welcome to Heidelberg Street,

the graveyard where trash survives and thrives.

No one asks who cuts the back grass

because front yards are shaved clean.

Naked baby dolls are nailed to houses

and don’t bleed, but they smile and wink 

everyday when my sister, friends, and I

would walk to and from school.

They looked like open-casket artifacts

that watched us with jealousy as 

if we were lively, walking exhibits; 

they wanted us to join them.

Stuffed teddy bears watched us look at them 

as they hung like ornaments next to various-sized

polka-dotted circles and stale vinyl records on houses.

On sidewalks, and on empty school buses, 

absent windows let you see their skeletons undressed.

Darkness kept us away from wondering 

who or what resided there.

Other dolls were clothed and stitched to the street or

burnt, crunchy cars as if they were handcuffed 

to life sentences.

They were looking for us to drive them away,

but the only license we had was to be scared.

After walking past Heidelberg every year,

the junk was burying our lives;

we didn’t want it there, but

stop signs did not want to let us leave.

They were stranded next to old tires,

attempting to hitchhike.

Memories of Heidelberg trash made

us hollow like ghosts passing 

from one dimension to another.

We outgrew it, and Heidelberg stopped

following us.

1st Place Poetry

Read the piece in “Detroit Voices” featuring the 2025 DWR Award winners.

Jimmie Smith Jr. was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. He has two Bachelor of Arts (journalism and English) degrees from Michigan State University. He also holds a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from Chicago State University. Jimmie has been living in Chicago, Illinois, but has been writing poetry since he was nine. He loves Detroit!