Joe Hill

My Last Will

1915

Retrieved on March 20, 2012 from en.wikisource.org

On November 18, 1915, one day before his execution, he wrote his last will. That same day, he sent a telegram to fellow IWW member Bill Haywood telling him “Don’t waste time mourning – Organize!”

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

My body? — Oh! — 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