Tuesday, November 11, 2008

We Remember... by Ralph Chaplin

Red November/Black November (1916)
red november, black november, bleak november, black & red;
Hallowed month of labor's martyrs, labor's heroes, labor's dead.
Labor's hope and wrath and sorrow, red the promise, black the threat.
Who are we to not remember? Who are we to dare forget?

red & black the colors blended, black & red the promise made,
red until the fight is ended, black until the debt is paid.
August Spies and Albert Parsons, with Joe Hill and all the rest.
Who are we to not remember? Who are we to dare forget?

black the flag and black the mask, red the hearts that beat as one.
Spur us to this better task like rays of light from autumn's sun.
red november, black november. red the promise, black the threat.
Who are we to not remember? Who are we to dare forget?


Mourn Not The Dead (1922)
Mourn not the dead that in the cool earth lie
But rather mourn the apathetic throng
The cowed and the meek
Who see the world's great anguish and its wrong
And dare not speak.


by Ralph Chaplin (1887-1961)
Labour activist, poet and songwriter of Solidarity Forever.