"William Was Here" was written by Shari in 2003. In January 2005 she sent it, along with another children's book she had written "Never Disappear" to ten publishing companies in hopes of having them professionally published.
In her submission letter she wrote: "William Was Here" is a tale about a creative young boy who learns to discipline his art... It also presents the idea of preserving history and leaving your mark in a positive way.
Although her submissions were declined, she certainly left her mark in a positive way on all who knew her. We love you and miss you, always & forever.
jbxo
William Was Here
"What do you think?" William proudly asked
But did not receive the response he expected
As Constable Catchimfast ordered the boys off the roof
And brought them to the police station to be questioned.
William was not familiar with the term "Graffiti"
And on the car ride home he hung his head in shame
Chris looked out the window not knowing what to say
William's father knew that it was up to him to explain.
"Not all towns... no... not many towns are like the old town.
Some towns prefer bare brick. I know not why"
William then realized that they were not on their way home
But pulling into the parking lot of "The Art Supply"
As William's father priced huge rolls of craft paper
Chris brought William to the sketch book section
Explaining that they could still do art in the park
On books of paper that they could carry with them.
"What do you say son, seven foot, twelve foot roll?"
William thanked his father and replied
"Dad, let's stick to portable art for a while.
These sketchbooks are travel size!"
William made many friends at his new school
And his favourite subject was art, of course
He no longer thought of that day in the park
He no longer felt sadness or remorse.
But Constable Catchimfast did not forget
He still thought of that spaceship landing on the moon
That kid's art brought an idea to his head
And he knew that he had to do something about it soon.
Constable Catchimfast had a sweetheart named Ida
And with her he wanted to spend the rest of his life
At a meeting with William and Chris at the station
He told them of a plan to make her his wife.
Chris took a fine photo of Catchim and Ida
Sitting in the park under a willow tree
And then William painted the image on the pavillion roof
And underneath were the words "Will you marry me?"
Ida walked right under that painting
And did not even know it was there
As the only way to properly see it
Was as a bird up in the air.
Constable Catchim took Ida for a ride in a hot air balloon
And her look of surprise you can only guess
As they hovered over William's fine work of art
Ida wiped away tears of happiness and said "Yes!"
As William grew he was asked to do many murals
And he put the money from his work away
To pay for college where he would study fine art
And become the professional artist that he is today.
William now has his own mural painting business
And he has painted murals in many cities and towns
His old buddy Chris has taken a photo of every work of art
That William keeps in a portfolio that he carries around.
William's childhood home has been knocked down
And years of rain have washed the trees and sidewalk clear
But the pirate ship on the side of city hall still proudly stands
And if you look very closely you will find the words "William Was Here."
by Shari Tamcsu
William's house was always neat
And his house was always clean
But every surface in every room
William's house was always neat
And his house was always clean
But every surface in every room
Was really a sight to be seen.
Ever since William could hold a crayon
His parents encouraged him to draw
So he would scribble high and low
And on every empty space he saw.
His folks were proud of his gift at art
Never following him with rag and water
"The colours add life to our bare walls
And we can always paint over it later".
William created thousands of patterns
For sheets and curtains of natural muslin
And when it was time to give them a wash
William would decorate them again.
When he was old enough to do chores
William would set out the dinner plates
And decorate them to match the theme of the meal
(Everyone got used to the waxy taste).
William would never leave the house
Without his knapsack full of drawing tools
By the designs he left on the sidewalks, trees and paths
You knew which route he took to school.
When it was William's turn at "Show and Tell"
The class would go on a field trip
To see his latest drawing on the side of City Hall
His best work was a fifteen foot pirate ship!
William's friends grew tired of piano lessons
And decided to switch to electric guitar
While others decided they no longer enjoyed tennis
So they would take up basketball.
But William's favourite hobby never changed
He believed that of art he would never grow tired
And his after school job of delivering papers
Helped him to purchase the tools that he required.
It seemed that the further that his arms could reach
And the taller that William grew
His art became grander and of larger scale
And his ideas were more elaborate and new.
As the town seemed to run out of empty space
On which William could showcase is art
His parents sat him down with heavy news
That they feared would break his heart.
His father cleared his throat and began to speak,
"The company that I work for has begun to grow
So they are opening an office in another town
And I will teach the employees all that I know".
"This is the house in which you were born
And these are the walls that you have drawn upon
Every picture tells a story about your life
Now it is time for that story to live on".
"Will the new house have bare white walls?" William asked
"Yes, higher and wider upon which you can draw"
And with that William breathed a sigh and smiled
And his parents were happy with what they saw.
The next few weeks were a very busy time
William's house was always on display
Some of the visitors were in awe of the colourful walls
While others stomped off in dismay.
William's parents became anxious to sell the house
And were almost ready to buy white paint
When a young couple entered and cried in union
"This is it! How cosy, oh, how quaint!"
"We will purchase if you include the art"
The newlyweds proclaimed, strong and bold
"Well, we can't take it with us", William replied
So the papers were signed and the house was sold.
Next there was packing and filling boxes
As moving day was approaching near
William took the time to say good bye to his art
And to sign each piece "William was here".
There were many good byes and teary eyes
As William's family set off to depart
And cries of "We'll miss you! Come back soon!"
And "William, you really left your mark!"
They drove for many hours, over many miles
The sunshine switched to cloud and then to rain
And when they finally arrived in the "new town"
William's first thought was "How plain".
"The buildings are covered in plain brown brick
And the trees are either brown bark or black
The sidewalks are simply grey concrete
Oh well, I'll have to do something about that!"
William decided to be optimistic
As they pulled into the drive
Of the house which was larger than the last
Yes, his father did not lie.
William could not wait to decorate the walls
But for now he was busy emptying each box
His work would not be done until each shelf was filled
And the proper drawers contained pants, shirts and socks.
Two days had passed and William had not stepped outside
He was now completing a mural in the hall
When his father exclaimed, "Let's go to the park
We can explore the neighbourhood and play ball."
It was a perfect, sunny day for a game of catch
And an afternoon snack of soft serve ice cream
William and his dad sat in the shade so their cones wouldn't melt
And from the park bench William surveyed the scene.
"Sixteen trees that could use some sprucing up
A pavillion that needs a colourful roof
Park benches that I can decorate with acrylic paint
Yes, here I can certainly be of some use".
"What are you thinking?", William's father asked
"You look as though you are staring through a lens"
William watched the kids playing in the park
And said, "Well, I wish I had some friends".
"There's a boy who lives in the house next door"
Said William's dad. "And he is just about your age
Why don't you stop over after dinner?"
William didn't know if he had the courage.
The kid next door turned out to be kind of cool
His name was Chris and he was into photography
When William told him about the murals in his old town
Chris asked: "Did you take any pictures, can I see?"
It was at that moment that William realized
That he did not have any photos of any kind
The only pictures that he had of the pirate ship
Were the memories that he kept in his mind.
The next day William filled his pack with art supplies
And invited Chris to accompany him to the park
"Bring your camera and after I finish the murals
I would like you to take pictures of my art."
Chris was surprised that they were going out in daylight
"This William must be a rebel" were his thoughts
Drawing art on the side of buildings during the day?
Chris sighed "We are sure to get caught".
"Did you say something?" William asked
"Ah, nothing", Chris replied
And William thought, "Why is he so quiet?
This Chris is one strange guy".
The pair worked undetected for one hour
On a mural of a spaceship landing on the moon
"That looks really cool!" Chris exclaimed
But it appears that Chris spoke too soon.
As along came Constable Catchimfast
"What do we have here?" he cried.
"Graffiti on our pavillion roof!"
"I am almost done", William replied.
Ever since William could hold a crayon
His parents encouraged him to draw
So he would scribble high and low
And on every empty space he saw.
His folks were proud of his gift at art
Never following him with rag and water
"The colours add life to our bare walls
And we can always paint over it later".
William created thousands of patterns
For sheets and curtains of natural muslin
And when it was time to give them a wash
William would decorate them again.
When he was old enough to do chores
William would set out the dinner plates
And decorate them to match the theme of the meal
(Everyone got used to the waxy taste).
William would never leave the house
Without his knapsack full of drawing tools
By the designs he left on the sidewalks, trees and paths
You knew which route he took to school.
When it was William's turn at "Show and Tell"
The class would go on a field trip
To see his latest drawing on the side of City Hall
His best work was a fifteen foot pirate ship!
William's friends grew tired of piano lessons
And decided to switch to electric guitar
While others decided they no longer enjoyed tennis
So they would take up basketball.
But William's favourite hobby never changed
He believed that of art he would never grow tired
And his after school job of delivering papers
Helped him to purchase the tools that he required.
It seemed that the further that his arms could reach
And the taller that William grew
His art became grander and of larger scale
And his ideas were more elaborate and new.
As the town seemed to run out of empty space
On which William could showcase is art
His parents sat him down with heavy news
That they feared would break his heart.
His father cleared his throat and began to speak,
"The company that I work for has begun to grow
So they are opening an office in another town
And I will teach the employees all that I know".
"This is the house in which you were born
And these are the walls that you have drawn upon
Every picture tells a story about your life
Now it is time for that story to live on".
"Will the new house have bare white walls?" William asked
"Yes, higher and wider upon which you can draw"
And with that William breathed a sigh and smiled
And his parents were happy with what they saw.
The next few weeks were a very busy time
William's house was always on display
Some of the visitors were in awe of the colourful walls
While others stomped off in dismay.
William's parents became anxious to sell the house
And were almost ready to buy white paint
When a young couple entered and cried in union
"This is it! How cosy, oh, how quaint!"
"We will purchase if you include the art"
The newlyweds proclaimed, strong and bold
"Well, we can't take it with us", William replied
So the papers were signed and the house was sold.
Next there was packing and filling boxes
As moving day was approaching near
William took the time to say good bye to his art
And to sign each piece "William was here".
There were many good byes and teary eyes
As William's family set off to depart
And cries of "We'll miss you! Come back soon!"
And "William, you really left your mark!"
They drove for many hours, over many miles
The sunshine switched to cloud and then to rain
And when they finally arrived in the "new town"
William's first thought was "How plain".
"The buildings are covered in plain brown brick
And the trees are either brown bark or black
The sidewalks are simply grey concrete
Oh well, I'll have to do something about that!"
William decided to be optimistic
As they pulled into the drive
Of the house which was larger than the last
Yes, his father did not lie.
William could not wait to decorate the walls
But for now he was busy emptying each box
His work would not be done until each shelf was filled
And the proper drawers contained pants, shirts and socks.
Two days had passed and William had not stepped outside
He was now completing a mural in the hall
When his father exclaimed, "Let's go to the park
We can explore the neighbourhood and play ball."
It was a perfect, sunny day for a game of catch
And an afternoon snack of soft serve ice cream
William and his dad sat in the shade so their cones wouldn't melt
And from the park bench William surveyed the scene.
"Sixteen trees that could use some sprucing up
A pavillion that needs a colourful roof
Park benches that I can decorate with acrylic paint
Yes, here I can certainly be of some use".
"What are you thinking?", William's father asked
"You look as though you are staring through a lens"
William watched the kids playing in the park
And said, "Well, I wish I had some friends".
"There's a boy who lives in the house next door"
Said William's dad. "And he is just about your age
Why don't you stop over after dinner?"
William didn't know if he had the courage.
The kid next door turned out to be kind of cool
His name was Chris and he was into photography
When William told him about the murals in his old town
Chris asked: "Did you take any pictures, can I see?"
It was at that moment that William realized
That he did not have any photos of any kind
The only pictures that he had of the pirate ship
Were the memories that he kept in his mind.
The next day William filled his pack with art supplies
And invited Chris to accompany him to the park
"Bring your camera and after I finish the murals
I would like you to take pictures of my art."
Chris was surprised that they were going out in daylight
"This William must be a rebel" were his thoughts
Drawing art on the side of buildings during the day?
Chris sighed "We are sure to get caught".
"Did you say something?" William asked
"Ah, nothing", Chris replied
And William thought, "Why is he so quiet?
This Chris is one strange guy".
The pair worked undetected for one hour
On a mural of a spaceship landing on the moon
"That looks really cool!" Chris exclaimed
But it appears that Chris spoke too soon.
As along came Constable Catchimfast
"What do we have here?" he cried.
"Graffiti on our pavillion roof!"
"I am almost done", William replied.
"What do you think?" William proudly asked
But did not receive the response he expected
As Constable Catchimfast ordered the boys off the roof
And brought them to the police station to be questioned.
William was not familiar with the term "Graffiti"
And on the car ride home he hung his head in shame
Chris looked out the window not knowing what to say
William's father knew that it was up to him to explain.
"Not all towns... no... not many towns are like the old town.
Some towns prefer bare brick. I know not why"
William then realized that they were not on their way home
But pulling into the parking lot of "The Art Supply"
As William's father priced huge rolls of craft paper
Chris brought William to the sketch book section
Explaining that they could still do art in the park
On books of paper that they could carry with them.
"What do you say son, seven foot, twelve foot roll?"
William thanked his father and replied
"Dad, let's stick to portable art for a while.
These sketchbooks are travel size!"
William made many friends at his new school
And his favourite subject was art, of course
He no longer thought of that day in the park
He no longer felt sadness or remorse.
But Constable Catchimfast did not forget
He still thought of that spaceship landing on the moon
That kid's art brought an idea to his head
And he knew that he had to do something about it soon.
Constable Catchimfast had a sweetheart named Ida
And with her he wanted to spend the rest of his life
At a meeting with William and Chris at the station
He told them of a plan to make her his wife.
Chris took a fine photo of Catchim and Ida
Sitting in the park under a willow tree
And then William painted the image on the pavillion roof
And underneath were the words "Will you marry me?"
Ida walked right under that painting
And did not even know it was there
As the only way to properly see it
Was as a bird up in the air.
Constable Catchim took Ida for a ride in a hot air balloon
And her look of surprise you can only guess
As they hovered over William's fine work of art
Ida wiped away tears of happiness and said "Yes!"
As William grew he was asked to do many murals
And he put the money from his work away
To pay for college where he would study fine art
And become the professional artist that he is today.
William now has his own mural painting business
And he has painted murals in many cities and towns
His old buddy Chris has taken a photo of every work of art
That William keeps in a portfolio that he carries around.
William's childhood home has been knocked down
And years of rain have washed the trees and sidewalk clear
But the pirate ship on the side of city hall still proudly stands
And if you look very closely you will find the words "William Was Here."
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