- Vol. 03
- Chapter 04
![](https://visualverse.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Grant_DeVolson_Wood_-_American_Gothic.jpg)
Image by Grant Wood
American Paradox
Thousands of miles away, In another place and another time, Familiar in its austerity, Portrait of hard labour and domesticity Of colonial farmers - and yet The grim-faced puritans, Small-town bible thumpers That scared me as a child, As an adult With a love of horror And a distaste of kitschy Americana, Present me with questions: Who are these tintype people From an obscure family album? A satire of small-town life Or a reassuring image Of steadfast pioneer spirit?