The Poem That Will Never Die- Tea With Joe Hill

I will never write a better poem. It is simply the truth. This poem is part of my poetry collection "Poet to the Poor, Poems of Hope For the Bottom One Percent".

Here is the blurb for the book.

"Poet to the Poor is a collection of poetry written for the bottom one percent. This work draws from historical figures and everyday people from John's life, creating a powerful poetic testimony. In revolutionary fashion John defies both the politics of the day and the modern style of poetry. The poems are written in a wide variety of styles, and rhyming is prominent. Passion and purpose abounds in these words. With over forty of the poems previously published, this work constitutes John's best, including the award winning poem "Tea with Joe Hill". If you want something to inspire you to change the world, this book is a must. Take a journey into the lives of the bottom one percent. The poor."

Poet to the Poor, Poems of Hope For the Bottom One Percent

Of course many of you don't know who Joe Hill was. The corporate masters hated him so much that they had him executed on trumped up charges. You see the 'system' conveniently forgets anybody they can ignore. If not they hijack your past. Susan B. Anthony for example. Everybody identifies her with woman's suffrage. But hear her conversation with the Socialist candidate for president one Eugene Debs. Debs said, "Susan if you give me socialism, I'll get women the right to vote." Susan answered in turn, "If you give me women the right to vote, I'll give you socialism." Why was Susan's socialistic nature ignored in my experience of being taught about her in public school? The truth undermines the foundations of the United States being some paragon of virtue. Thus it is deemed a threat.

In celebrating Joe Hill I am in fact celebrating America. I hate war and deplore the insane notion that troops sent far across the world to rob some other country of their resources is somehow serving America. All our wars are doing is bleeding the common man. Whether it be some poor soldier in our army or the mother who gets blown to pieces by the dropping of a bomb upon her house. The weapons makers, the bankers, the mercenaries, are all getting rich. Meanwhile our infrastructure is in decay, poverty abounds, there are no jobs to be found. Worst of all fascism in the guise of the Republican party is on the rise. Fear mongering for self serving purposes will only bring about evil to all. When the United States spend more on military than the rest of the world combined these 'chicken hawks' are telling us we need more weapons.

If Joe Hill were alive today he would have wrote a song about it. That is after all what Joe Hill did. He wasn't a rock star by any means. He was a working man through and through. A member of the IWW. A good and honest man full of honor.

I mention other historical figures in the poem. I leave them to you to investigate.

And now without any further commentary 'the poem that will never die'.

Tea with Joe Hill

By John Kaniecki

Joe Hill and I had tea

He let his biscuits soak

They say America is free

Man how they love to joke

Ask Sacco and Vanzetti

Ask Red Cloud and Crazy Horse

And the way I see

Is things are getting worse

I said "Joe why ain't you dead?"

Righteousness is like Love my friend

Laughed Joe as he shook his head

Spirits never die and never end

A thousand tyrants and all their force

In truth could never compete

With the Love that is the source

Of one of my melodies sweet

You see death and life they coexist

Some never die and some never live

So songs of revolution will always persist

For unto themselves my songs give

So open your eyes and organize

Never give in to their lies and organize

Do not hate and despise but organize

Raise your voice in mighty cries and organize

Joe slurped the last of his tea

And bid me a final farewell

Above all fight to be free

You’ll get heaven when you give them hell

Singing off for now, John 'FeatherLeaf' Kaniecki

P.S. Buy the book. If you like this poem, you'll love the book. 

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