Joe Hill’s Last Will (Poem written in his cell on the eve of his execution)

Last Will

My will is easy to decide,
For there is nothing to divide.
My kind don’t need to fuss and moan —
“Moss does not cling to a rolling stone.”

My body? Ah, If I could choose,
I would to ashes it reduce,
And let the merry breezes blow
My dust to where some flowers grow.

Perhaps some fading flower then
Would come to life and bloom again.
This is my last and final will.
Good luck to all of you.

Joe Hill
(1879-1915)
Last Will
Written in his cell on the eve of his execution

Joe Hill was sentenced to death after being accused of the murder of two shopkeepers. His conviction is often disputed by historians. On November 18, 1915, one day before his execution, he wrote his last will. On that same day, he sent a telegram to fellow IWW member Bill Haywood, telling him: “Don’t waste time mourning – Organize!”

• fleursdumal.nl magazine

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