My Last Will

For other versions of this work, see Last Will of Joe Hill.

←

My Last Will (1915)
by Joe Hill

→

Joe Hill was sentenced to death after being accused of the murder of two shopkeepers (a conviction which is often disputed by historians). 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!"

123104My Last Will1915Joe Hill

My Last Will

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 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

This work was published before January 1, 1929, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.

Public domainPublic domainfalsefalse