There's a place that I travel
When I want to roam,
And nobody knows it but me
The roads don't go there
And the signs stay home
And nobody knows it but me
It's far far away
And way way afar
It's over the moon and the sea
And wherever you're going
That's wherever you are
And nobody knows it but me
-Patrick O'Leary
Amidst the confusion of the lackluster hustle and bustle of our growing economy, a tiny crack in the cement of our economic foundation provides a safe haven. A safe place that fosters the growth of a tiny green plant that personifies the purity that still may exist in our apparently doomed capitalist society. Invariably, this plant will be crushed by the masses that are oblivious to its existence, but the very idea that there might be a glimmer of hope in our society is embodied in this contemporary poem.
This poem, "Nobody Knows It but Me" appeared on a General Motors commercial for the Chevy Tahoe (2002). Recited by James Garner and cast on the imagery of an unaccompanied man taking photographs of waterfalls and mountaintops, the recitation of this poem evokes a feeling of longing for the great outdoors. Perhaps it's only the fancy filters, or the majestic landscapes, or maybe it's only the warm inviting sound of James Garner's classic voice, but it is an awe-inspiring commercial. Surprisingly, this classic sounding poem was written by an advertising executive for General Motors, Patrick O'Leary. Is this simply an elaborate ruse to persuade someone into running out and buying an expensive gas-guzzling SUV (destroying the beautiful landscapes which we seek)? Or reminding us of our indelible link with nature? One really begins to wonder... is there anything pure left in this world?