Click Here to Read: Remembering Pete Seeger, From Woody Guthrie to Occupy Wall Street on this website.
Click Here to Read: “We Shall Overcome”: Remembering Folk Icon, Activist Pete Seeger in His Own Words & Songs on this website.
Click Here to Read: Pete Seeger 1919-2014 on this website.
Pete Seeger
May 3, 1919-January 27, 2014
World citizen/
National treasure/
Musical artist
your voice/music
is not in the
grave Your force
is the vitality
of America /
that has driven
protests
labor struggles
creativity and
beautiful
human efforts
It cannot be
stilled or crushed
In your life you
supported so
many causes
with artistry
joy and soul
They subpoenaed
you for this and
your Communist
Party membership
and you offered
to perform for
them They refused
preferring to
cite you for contempt
of Congress Had
you played they would
have cringed under
the table in fear
of your humanity
After you left
the CP Joseph
Stalin would have
had the same fear
His cover would
have been blown He
coopted so many
like you who had
basic decency—free
spirits and were
kind activist/
revolutionaries
who represent
the best of the
Founding Fathers
and America
You and others
left but your
music and joyous
voice continue
to affirm the good
of our nation
challenging what
is wrong—the music
of the true American
rebels of the War
of Independence the
immigrants who
worked in factories
built our railroads
created the unions
with a decent
standard of living
and fought Fascism
Born two years
after the Bolshevik
Revolution and
after the First
World War which
began 100 years
before your life’s
end your life spanned
10 decades—a legacy
to the 21st century
Your music fueled
and still fuels our
efforts in the worst
moments of despair
Finally the Clintons
and Obama honored
you I thought
about you a few
days ago marveling
at your age/vitality
And then you were
gone on my 75th
birthday and the
19thyarhzeit of
my favorite
football player
Bob Chandler who
also opposedthe
Vietnam War
If I am correct
you are in the
eternal sky with
Malvina Reynolds
Woody Guthrie
Jon Fromer and
other kindred
souls All of you
sing to us on
earth encouraging
our opposition to
the social order
Your joyous music
will never die It
fuels our efforts
to make a
better world—
in the stormiest
of times with your
voice a rainbow
of sight and sound
Thank you!
January 31, 2014