Life — November 2, 1922 — page 7: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "From a Grateful Heart" - Life Magazine Satire This poem by B.L. critiques American society during what appears to be a period of economic hardship and social restriction (likely Prohibition era, given references to drinking laws). The silhouette illustrations depict various hypocrisies: people hiding illicit activities, censorship ("CENSORED" visible), prohibition enforcement, and government control. The poem sarcastically thanks various forces—Congress, "Prohibitionists," revenue-raising measures, and critics—for making life difficult. The central complaint: despite economic hardship ("current cost of living"), citizens are forced to endure "confusions" of regulation and moral policing. The satire suggests these restrictions are justified by false optimism ("keep a few illusions"), while ordinary people struggle. The ornate border frames these complaints as grim commentary on contemporary American life.