Phoebe Rees - Belle LaFollette

The slightest chill pervades the air
The winds of soft September
Surround us as we walk alone
Trying to remember
The year is turning like the leaves
The battles she once fought in
Are fading like sweet summer days
Like her, almost forgotten

May we all honor in our work
The heroes of our history
May they return to bring us hope
From roots sunk deep in memory
May old acquaintance be renewed
May no ill wind forestall it
And may we always keep the faith
The faith of Belle LaFollette

No street no highway bears her name
No statue shows her strong and proud
No building tall is named for her
Such silence where she spoke so loud
No mural of the fierce campaigns
She proudly cast her lot in
The present overwhelms the past
Until it’s near forgotten

There are those who hide at home
Waiting for the storm to pass
While others find security
In fighting hard and standing fast
From racial justice to world peace
From Suffrage to the picket line
Belle led the struggles of her day
With vision far beyond her time