Norman Rockwell's Goodbye

I like that one William. Is there any Norman Rockwell type towns left anywhere in the United States? If there is, that's the place for me!

There must be>>no?

Ah Bill
Those days are passing and with their passing comes an infinite sadness.

When I was young. a school boy, I had such a belief system. Now I know that what I believed in will never be seen again.

In its most violent form the betrayal by our leaders comes out as assassinations. I'm seriously affected today by the murder of Mrs Bhutto. She was the kind of life force that I admire. I'm not talking about her politics. I'm talking about her the person.

Those that murder and are corrupt in high places will never be caught. Those days are past.

Am I ranting n your parade? Sorry Bill.

Oh if only there were Norman Rockwell type towns left.

Bill, that was a powerful poem. Sadly so much of it is true. I'm clinging and gasping with you.

William, This was a very good poem that makes a very profound statement. You have summed up how I have been feeling about the world, the leaders, the corruption and expressed how I long for yesterday. I could not have put it so eloquently and artfully. I wish I could give you 1000 gold stars.

Very well written, and thought out too. It is true and sad. To become president all you really need is money,connections help too.
Well let's look at the bright side, there are some very honorable candidates running. We are fortunate to be able to cast our vote and not have to defend our choice, because it is OUR choice. William what you wrote is so true, yet I would like to put some positive thoughts out there in regards to our freedoms.
I appreciate this poem and what it stands for. My all time favorite Rockwell painting is of a young woman on thanksgiving eating but her feet are wrapped in rags for warmth. it was a war time painting, have you ever seen it? It has always touched my heart. Thanks.

I wanted to add the last stanza toook my breathe away. Gasping and clinging, The imagery and emotion is so powerful, I could feel my finger nails bending as I clung.

A wonerful ODE to a great man, William!! He will always be one of my FAVES...once had 15 old life mags with his wondrous paintings in them..... :)

This is great William. It is not only a wonderful tribute to a great man, but a truth we are missing in our nation all too often now. Watching the world sliding into chaos, while we fight tooth and nail to hold on to important things like our morality, compassion, and kindness.

Wow William, thanks for bringing the memory of Norman Rockwell back to us. He may have painted a picture of a fantasy world where justice prevailed and good people always won, but the fantasy, if it was one, is still worth seeking in reality.

We have not gotten much better or worse since Rockwell and the Saturday Evening Post inspired us to reach for the Ideals of this nation, but we have gotten a lot more Cynical. The first step to success is believing you have a chance of succeeding.

Bill, I share your sorrow and grieve with you. I can remember the days when America and American stood for something grand. But that is all changed.
Now we as a nation are infected with the spirit of Imperium, The spirit that eventually distroyed the Roman empire. I asw it and wrote about in 2000. Now we are paying the price. Well done my friend. may we all speak out as elequently.

I hate to be such a pessimist on this and yet I am. My gut says we lost our country even though I don't know when it happened. What was good is no more. I have no solutions to get it back. And that is a tragedy. Doing the right thing can be ruled down in a court room. Greed and corruption do take over and negate right. It is very, very sad. We all want answers and we don't seem to have them. The U.S. seems to me to be much like a suffering, gasping whale in the throes of death.

There is a lot of truth here. Our country has lost a certain innocence; yet I don't think there was ever a golden age. A lot of abuse and self-abuse (i.e. alcoholism and such) and corruption went undetected and ignored in those Norman Rockwell days.

(This poem was very accessible to me; I didn't have to do backsprings or head-scratching to get at the gist of it, thank you, William)

well said

Well done, William. I remember those old Norman Rockwell pictures - lovely glimpses of a different time.

I keep hoping for a rebirth of the old American values for the world my grandchildren will inhabit. The politics of America are hearbreaking now. Whatever you want, if you have enough money, you can buy it - a decision in court, favorable grants in Congress, etc. The poor keep getting poorer and I won't even start on the health system!

LOL

At 25 comments, I'll tell you something about this poem that no one has yet caught.

This is a wonderful poem, well written and with much truth in it.

Beautiful William,

Before writing my comments, I saw his paintings on websites. I don't know much about him but he seems to be a wonderful man.Will read about him .

Thanks for all your hilarious comments specially on my Calculations:)

Every line says so much. It seems your voice is saying "That's enough!" May I add mine to it?

Powerful words mixed in with a bit of rhyme to help swallow the nasty with the sweet. I just hope enough us speak out during the coming election year to turn the tide.

I think this poem is saying we are losing our freedoms one by one, and that sooner or later if we are going to save our democracy as we once knew it , we are going to have to revolt, now why do I say this? Well, for about three hours yesterday I listened to my 19 year old grandson, who I think doesn't notice anything, telling me exactly that, he said that the way our constitution was drawn up gave us freedom of speech , freedom of press, freedom of religion freedom to bear arms, and every other freedom we take or took for granted. He told me, the freedom of speech is no longer valid, because what you hear on the TV or radio, is all slanted by the big corporations who control the government through their lobbiests, that freedom of press is owned by them too, freedom of religion is slowly diminishing, we no longer can mention God in the classrooms, even if we want to, freedom to bear arms, is being taken away slowly but surely because one person might use a gun to harm another, well the bad ones always find them, so he told me flat out, that sooner or later, if we want to save the constitution as it was written by the people that wrote it, and would now be considered terrorists, because they rebelled against the government that was controlling them, the British, there will have to be an uprising of the people now being controlled by the Big Government that is slowly but surely taking away our freedoms one by one, now that came from the mouth of a 19 year old who has his best friend leaving for the army in 2 weeks that wants to go and fight for our freedoms, and they talk like that all the time, but both know that the freedoms we are fighting for right now, are being taken away as we speak, Are these kids right, I think so, I have seen so many things change William, it was so different during WW2, when we all had our freedoms to fight for, now who wants to fight for anything, they are taking our freedoms away by legislating them away inch by inch. I am probably wrong, so there is my take on your poem, I think it is very good William, and I lived during the Norman Rockwell era, it was wonderful. Thanks for letting me spout off.

William, you are SPOT on in this rant....I remember those Norman Rockwell days!

William Billy thought you might enjoy this video, a clip from the West Wing, (Penn and Teller magicians burn a flag in the white house, because it is in the constitution that they can)

http://youtube.com/watch?v=NymRecFWgAs

I agree with Billy & his friends.

Now, if you look at the rhythm of this poem, you'll plainly see it is a Rap song.

I don't see everything in the paper anymore, and where my husband gets all his information I can not even begin to imagine. But he is constantly telling me of another freedom or another right we had that has now been taken away. He firmly believed Bush would put us back 100 years with regard to civil rights. And now he has and worse. We should have a newspaper, all newspapers, list every law passed, every bill that the President puts to Congress, so that we know what is going on. I'm at the point I think we need to vote on everything for ourselves, yet that seems so unrealistic and impossible to achieve. Perhaps as a nation we should in groups monitor and report what laws are coming up, who is doing what, what are the benefits/ills of any legislation. And then, we, the people, should have a way to override. And why haven't the voting machine problems been corrected?

Did you write this Rap song or did someone else?

Part of me wonders if the painted canvas was ever real. I remember my Granddad saying that the world wasn't really getting worse - just more crowded and with better communication. All the bad things of my day were just as bad in his day but better hidden - behind the painted canvas maybe? But I agree with you, and with Billy. Sometimes we need to change the place we're looking from to see more clearly, and the young are often the ones who change easiest. Neat, and appropriate, that you made this a rap.

I wrote it. I would never post anything without their permission and I would give them credit at the end of the article. My son plays Rap music and I picked up the back beat, which goes 1, 2, 3 & 1,2. I just fashioned my verse on this backbeat. I wrote every single word without help and this poem contains no lyrics from any song I'm aware of.

Ya...I noticed this but I thought you were looking for someother answer.

well said, cant wait to hear it

They were doing a Norman Rockwell special when I walked out of the glass room. I think it was on Hallmark. Channel 312 here, for what that is worth. Sattelite.
I told Donald you had something that I hadnt had time to read yet. I will come back tomorrow and re-read the article . Good night Bill

William, I would love to hear you recite this.

Video, please!

So is it Tupac Dotani,now? Has a nice ring to it...

I don't know a thing about rap beat...not a fan of the hard core rap. And if you are being subjected to that underlying woofer bombastic bass beat regulary ,well then ,that explains A LOT!

This poem should be copied by the millions and dropped from planes ,helicopters, balloons,Elsie's space shuttle onto every city, town, hamlet ,village in this country.
Everybody alive and kicking should read it..and wake up...we have surrendered our rights,our freedoms,our childrens lives and we do nothing but stand by and watch those responsible take even more.
Gone are the days of the America of Norman Rockwell.....like Simon and Garfunkel's lament "where have you gone Joe Dimaggio..."
Where have the values gone that made this once the place of "The American Dream?" There is no such thing remaining..not even a shred or remnant..in fact,entitlement has replaced the idea that anybody could get ahead if they work for their dream. The scales have been tipped towards them that has...and the tables turned to guarantee that the has nots will always be available for exploitation..just behind that wall because ,after all,there's always going to be a need for underlings,for those willing to do for a meal,heat,clothing,a body to fight unjust wars to create more obscene revenue for the mighty wealthy...yes, that is where we are headed. A country that mimics those that have a cast system.The very rich and the very poor.No middle class as we are an encumbrance.The dye has been cast and the wheels are turning in that direction. This monstrous creation 35 years in the making is picking up speed.
William, so well spoken..succinct in the message of Corruption and Loss.
Such truth and such sadness.

OK..I am going to now try your idea of hanging upside down....

So,are you gettin' a gold n diamond grill to wear ,Gangsta Bill?:}

I'm not a fan of Rap simply because I prefer melody over rhythm in songs. I did ask my son what Rap artists he was listening to and it was TUPAC. Only TUPAC.

" Common decency was once part of our trait" I have seen so little of that lately.
"But those times have changed and freedom just clings" Our freedom is going out the door. We no longer have the rights to be the great America that we once were.

Sheila H, That is a great comment. Thank you.
Norma, Spot on!

I think this poem has moved a lot of people William, thanks for your comments, have to be up early to meet the plane tomorrow, Happy New Year, I will probably say that a few more times to you , lol, very tired right now.

I admire greatly the forthrightness of this poem, and its holding the debased national culture in the 21st Century Age of the USA empire´s decline up to the standards set by our great portraitist of our shining hour of mass culture of the mid 20th Century, Norman Rockwell.

Skillfully written, topical without getting bogged down in single issues, with a perspicacity I rarely see in civic-minded poetry.

William, you hit this one out of the park for all outraged citizens (and I mean citizens, not consumers) who value probity in their public speakers. Norman, I´m sure, would´ve been proud to paint your visage as you thundered this aloud.

Thank you John. You explain my poem with a preciseness of what I think and that which hope many share in their thoughts.

Thanks for sharing, William. I'm sorry to say that I agree with so many of the things you say in this poem, as others have commented. It is a sad testament to the state of politics in our world. I admit, I cringe when my son says he wants to be president - I fear that if that is his ambition, he cannot do so and remain an honest and forthright person. That is truly sad!

However, I have to admit, that in some ways, I see Norman Rockwell in corners of my world here in Northeast Ohio. We suffer from a very poor economy compared to the rest of Ohio, but we tend to huddle together and help each other out. Norman's pictures may require some updating, with additions of tattoos and nose rings, but there are many good people out there, who are willing to lend a helping hand to their neighbor. I take heart in this knowledge.

Thanks, again, for sharing this thought-provoking poem.

Thanks for having me read this one William. I have often called myself misplaced in time. I wish I were back in those simplier times where right and wrong aren't politcally grayed. Where family values still held meaning and where Rockwell glorified the common man, doing his best, living his life.

This really makes a statement. Thanks for sharing.

Wow, this poem touched me very deeply. What you say here is so true and so sad. We may not get Norman Rockwell times back, but perhaps one day things will turn around for us and we will again feel pride in our country and our place in the world. For all of our sakes, I sure hope so, William.

Very nice and creatively done.
Thank you for sharing.

Good as gold
Watch it sold
New is old

Well done, William; very powerful.

The images of Norman Rockwell are the perfect contrast to the current situation.
You open our eyes to the complacency that is killing our freedom.
I would love to hear you rap it out.

I always loved norman rockwells works! Thanks for the great post

Not just Norman Rockwell, but his vision of who we are (were?) and the image of clinging to the past, and treasuring (being proud) of who we were, but who we are not now. It truely is enough to make us cry. Now, I believe we need to cry out loud.
(Amos Lee, a little softer than Tupac.)

We need to take back, rebuild communities, fight off the powers that would overwhelm us. AND we need to do it now, before those who have the better memories get too tired to fight for it.
The Beatles "You say you want a revolution?" springs to mind.
Excellent post, and thank you for it.
Wilka

Great job, William. You have managed to portray the feelings of the majority of Americans in a most creative manner. (However, NOT being a huge fan of Rap, I think the poem deserves better).

We can bring back the Norman Rockwell America if we each strive to be the kind of person we wish others would be. It has to start somewhere. Maybe we can all make a pact to put our neighbor's needs and welfare above our own and we will start an epidemic. Wouldn't that be great?

I enjoyed the poem. Good work.

Good poem. I think Sheila's grandfather is right. The world too crowded with more good people and bad people, and communications are so good we know instantly about all the bad news. There are still good people doing good things for their friends and neighbors just as Norman Rockwell pictured. I know, because it is happening every day in Campo California.

brought such wonderful memories to mind
use to run home to see what he had done for the "post" each month. saw an exhibit of his Paintings while in Indianapolis
thanks for the memory

Very well written. Thanks for sharing it.

This is the most truth (other than the Bible) that I have read in DAYS.....I am one who is ready to stand up and shout ENOUGH.

Thank you very much for sharing.

I really like your piece.

I have been an admirer of Norman Rockwell's artwork for a very long time. We may not appear the same any longer but Norman Rockwell's vision can live in your heart.

Norman Rockwell is the best.