An Ode to American Artistry (on her birthday)

Old grunge vintage American US national flag over background of white painted wooden planks board
Old grunge vintage American US national flag over background of white painted wooden planks board

Now I know folks are complaining a lot these days; they’re quick to criticize.

They’re saying it’s the end of Pax Americana, and they start to eulogize.

But let’s stop with the doom and gloom, and take a moment to recognize

That America’s artistic talents transform the world before our eyes.

 

It starts with an eternal optimism; we call it the American dream.

With no caste system or royal family, anyone can join the team.

We’re made up of all types of folks, including the crop of the cream.

There’s a place for everyone here, especially those who swim upstream.

 

Built by immigrants and dreamers, it’s the original melting pot.

From steamer boats to covered wagons, they came to claim their spot.

This new world birthed something special, from the talents each one brought.

As Lin-Manuel Miranda sang, “They didn’t throw away their shot.”

 

We are called the “land of opportunity,” of that I’m sure you know.

It’s a laboratory for creativity, encourages artistic genius to grow.

Especially for those who break the mold and hate the status quo,

Like Ralph Waldo Emerson, Harper Lee, and Maya Angelou.

 

The infinite possibilities here birthed a literary well-spring.

Capote and Fitzgerald, Raymond Chandler and Stephen King,

JD Salinger the recluse, and Hemingway in the boxing ring,

They invented a new type of writing and paved the way for other things.

 

Like American photographers, whose incredible talent was brought to light.

Visionaries like Ansel Adams captured images in black and white.

And others came along, who were blessed with unique sight

Like Annie Leibovitz and Richard Avedon, coaxing stars out from the night.

 

Jasper Johns painted Old Glory and Albert Bierstadt our beautiful home,

With soaring landscapes, golden vistas, bluffs, and flowering brome.

From the Grand Canyon to the Colorado River, where the deer and the antelope roam.

The majesty of the Rocky Mountains, and the bison in Yellowstone.

 

Iconic images were immortalized by painters who came along,

Like James Whistler’s famous mother who stares off all day long,

While Thomas Cole shows an empire crumbling when leaders get it wrong.

Hopper, O’Keeffe, and Rockwell’s art each sing a perfect song.

 

Then there’s Jackson Pollack, Andy Warhol, and Roy Lichtenstein,

Inventors of a whole new style, put American pop-art on the scene.

Along with David Hockney and Peter Blake, and the colorful Keith Haring.

Their images overflow with energy like a hundred cups of caffeine.

 

They came after European masters, and improved on what came before

Because that’s the American way – to stand upon the shore

And look out on the infinite horizon and imagine what to explore.

If you can envision something new, it may not be a dream anymore.

 

American artistic talent wasn’t limited to a canvas or a pane.

Ben Franklin captured lightning, and Edison’s bulbs lit up our brain.

Alexander Graham Bell’s phone carried our voices over the plain.

While Ford invented the motor car, and the Wright Brothers gave us the plane.

 

The radio and phonograph brought forth music from the dark

And allowed the world to hear the greats, who’ve uniquely left their mark.

Jazz giants Ella Fitzgerald and Miles Davis lit the spark

Then Louis Armstrong and John Coltrane set a new benchmark.

 

So did Elvis, Sinatra, and Bob Dylan, who came along the way,

Followed by Madonna, Prince, and Taylor Swift, and of course, Beyonce.

Don’t forget the king of pop, the moonwalking, Thriller MJ.

They’re all just like the Boss himself, Born in the USA.

 

American art can inspire you, like a lightning bolt from Zeus.

Creating sublime joy, heartfelt tears, or laughter it may induce,

Especially if it’s from stand-up comics like Amy Schumer or Lenny Bruce.

While Eddie Murphy and Kevin Hart always know how to cut loose.

 

Great American comedians like George Carlin and Mel Brooks

Were funny and irreverent too, generating nasty looks.

While Carl Reiner and Jerry Seinfeld never held us on tenterhooks.

Clearly American humor will go down in the history books.

 

Along with Hollywood for producing the movie industry,

From Orson Welles to Stanley Kubrick, Coppola and Scorsese.

Whether Spielberg or George Lucas, or the incomparable Spike Lee.

Cohen Brothers and Tarantino flicks are my favorite ones to see.

 

The artists in front of the camera, created characters to be seen.

Brando’s Godfather, Bogart’s Rick, and the Rebel, young James Dean

Along with leading ladies like Marilyn, formerly Norma Jeane.

Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers danced as the raindrops fell between.

 

And our athletes are artists of a different sort, so we hold our heads up high

When Lebron dunks, Serena aces, and Air Jordan touches the sky.

There was no denying it when Babe Ruth or Jackie Robinson let one fly.

Sandy Koufax was a baseball legend, while proudly wearing his chai.

 

American artists of today are rewriting everybody’s fates.

They’re modern prophets like Steve Jobs and Microsoft’s Bill Gates.

Turning closed doors into Windows through which everyone communicates.

Expanding the artistic legacy of the great United States.

 

Yeah, America isn’t perfect, but our creative genius has helped me realize

That transcendent beauty and provocative art, we must immortalize.

So, thank you for giving me a moment, and not for rolling your eyes

To share my pride, brag a bit, and even evangelize.

 

In the land of the free and the home of the brave, this I know you’ve heard:

Everyone’s created equal here, so no endeavor will be deterred.

The right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, no dream shall be deferred.

That’s why when I sing America the Beautiful, my heart is always stirred.

 

This country is not just my home, it’s an idea, an aspiration.

Spurred on by visionary artists, who keep me fueled with inspiration.

So, join me in raising a glass today, filled with your favorite libation.

On this Fourth of July, I want to say, happy birthday to my nation.

 

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Zack Bodner

Written by Zack Bodner

Zack Bodner spends his days as the CEO of the OFJCC and his late nights waxing poetic on the Live Fully Blog. During the in-between hours, he and his wife ro-sham-bo for who does the dishes and who puts each of their three kids to sleep. On the weekends, Zack schleps his brood from soccer to baseball to drama to dance and then back to soccer. He can often be found asleep in one of his kids' beds after reading bedtime stories to them.

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