An Ode to Solidarity: The All NEHU Workers' Union (ANWU)

Dedicated to the members of the All NEHU Workers' Union (ANWU)

Stanza 1:
Brothers and sisters of the worker’s guild,
Gathered in solidarity, spirits unstilled,  
Raising voices in unison, marching ahead,
Towards a future justly won, by rights outspread.

Stanza 2:
Labors of hand and mind performed as one,
Threads of this Union woven, its tapestry spun,  
With patient fingers, determined hearts and eyes,
Fixed ahead on the horizons where freedom lies.  

Stanza 3:
Oft the journey is weary, the burden feels vast,
Faith we must keep, though progress seems slow to last,
Placing one foot before the other, we plod on anew,
Steadfast in the knowledge that our cause rings true.

Stanza 4:
Let not the darkness of doubt cloud mind and heart,
Nor the winds of false promise tear our bonds apart,
Hold fast to the light within, let conscience be guide,
Stand tall, stand together, whatever may betide.

Stanza 5:
The rights we uphold are self-evident to all,
No power can long suppress the people's call,
So let oppressors scheme, let tyrants connive,
Justice will triumph, for freedom is alive!

Stanza 6:
Raise high the banners emblazoned with our names,
A catalog of workers, our lineage and aims,
Proudly we uphold them, progress step by step,
Advancing the legacy those before us kept.

Stanza 7:
Though humble our station, essential our role,
With sweat and with service we nourish life's whole,
Yet when we unite, our voice carries far,
A righteous echo no injustice can mar.

Stanza 8:
O Union, you shield us from life's battering storm,
In your embrace we're cradled, protected, kept warm,  
But you stand for more - a bold vow we've ordained:
No worker shall suffer unjust loss or pain.

Stanza 9:
This promise we make, to hold it profound,
To guard and defend it, integrity bound,
For this Union exists to uplift and unite,
Securing fair treatment, enriching each life.  

Stanza 10:
Look not to false prophets who peddle in fear,
Their honey-laced words are not what they appear,
Stand firm in your truth, let no conflict divide,  
Trust the Union's wisdom to steady and guide.

Stanza 11:
You give of your hands, your hearts, your minds each day,
Receive now this knowledge to bolster your way:
No labor is menial if done with pure heart,
All service has value, all workers their part.  

Stanza 12:  
The scaffolding of comforts many take for granted,
Is built by your hands, with diligence unwarranted,
So toil on with pride in tasks others ignore,
Yours is sacred duty, upheld evermore.

Stanza 13:
Yet blinkered arrogance must not infect our way,  
Humility let guide our footsteps day by day,
However high we climb, this truth we must recall:
No life or labor is made lesser or small.

Stanza 14:
Like currents converging to swell a greater tide,  
When unified in purpose, formidable our stride,
On injustice we gainst say, for equity contend,  
And a new sun dawns when labors amalgamate.

Stanza 15:
But rights hard won can crumble without constant care,
Eternal vigilance the price of freedom fair,
So let us with patient hearts our course renew,
For the Union, like freedom, depends on me and you.

Stanza 16:
Many hands have built this movement throughout the years,  
With each small victory, with each loss, blood and tears,
On their sturdy shoulders we steady ourselves now,
To continue the march, we make this solemn vow.

Stanza 17:  
Brothers and sisters, heed this comrade’s warm refrain:
Our voices together no force can restrain,
But divided and scattered, we’re bereft of might,  
So walk on together into freedom’s light.

Stanza 18:  
Let not your hands falter nor your wills grow numb,
Too many still suffer, too far yet to come,
Take heart and remember how vastly we outnumber  
Those who by injustice encumber and cumber.

Stanza 19:
Yet righteousness alone does not bring about change,
With boldness and wisdom we must act, arrange,
Not just air complaints but seek real solutions,
And not by rash impulse but mindful revolutions.  

Stanza 20:
Stay true to our Union, its wise feet have walked
Down roads where wait trials not yet to be balked,
It knows the terrain ahead, the pitfalls to avoid,
So walk in its footsteps, with prudence employed.  

Stanza 21:  
The conscience of mercy, nonviolence its song,
These notes must guide movements however strong,
Progress is tedious, restraint hard to uphold,  
But integrity lost cannot be rebought or resold.

Stanza 22:
So members take heart though long seems our road,
Together we shoulder this sacred load,
Of justice for workers, equity for all -  
This righteous cause shall not falter or fall!

Stanza 23:  
Past chains and old wounds leave scars deeply borne,  
But not our defining marks - rather the morn  
Of hope and renewal ever dawning anew,
This work left unfinished now rests with you.

Stanza 24:  
No obstacle will thwart, no fear disband  
Or break the spirit forged by workers’ hands,
Held high these torches passed from kin to kin,
Illuming the way so our march can begin.

Stanza 25:   
Let bold anthems swell, lift each voice on high
In chorus united no despot can buy,
As one we assemble, our numbers are vast,
And bonded in justice we shall stand steadfast!

Stanza 26:
Yet bonds fray to breaking if trust falls aside,
If stoked misgivings spread and multiply wide,
So tend to each tie that makes us aligned,
Our strength woven by strands compassionately twined.

Stanza 27:  
Shoulder to shoulder, let nothing divide,
Neither rancor nor rumors breed schisms inside,  
But open-eared kindness that understands all,
This is the wise way, the enlightened call.

Stanza 28:
Hardship and heartache are burdens each bears,
But shared, their gravity lightens and wears,
So reach out in solidarity, souls unified,
No injustice withstands when good folk stand allied.

Stanza 29:   
Tomorrow will test the foundations we lay,
Will we stand resolute or falter and stray?
That choice ever looms, and with each moment’s reign
The chance to sculpt our fate, or let chaos gain.  

Stanza 30:
So let courage feed courage and hope fuel this fire,
That the light of our vision may never expire,  
Each playing their part so endeavor survives,
The future is unwritten - let's fill the blank pages!

Stanza 31:
O Union, watchtower steadfast and veritable,
Your walls are composed of each member, inseparable,
Together we thrive, divided we stumble and fall,
So heed wisdom's call: unite now one and all!

Stanza 32:
Lift every voice! Let songs of solidarity swell,
Pealing out the anthem time alone will tell,  
Ringing down the ages from this defining hour,
When workers stood as one to claim their rightful power.  

Stanza 33:
Yet ever reflecting let this refrain resound:  
No matter how far up, stay still humility bound,
For Power is but entrusted, mere custodians are we,
To wield it with prudence, love and accountability.

Stanza 34:  
Brothers and sisters, whatever may come hereafter,
Stormy heavy seas or still tranquil waters,
Know this: though waves rise and fall, we together can brave
The most tempestuous trials when united we stand.

Stanza 35:   
So cleave fast to hope, let courage steady your hand,
And walk on as one bonded, determined band,
Towards that promised land where freedom is clinched,
And the rights of all workers are guarded unflinched.  

Stanza 36:  
Hardship lies ahead ere we reach journey's end,
But bathed in camaraderie, we shall endure and transcend,
Stand tall, spirits bright, and edicts unjust we will spurn,
For workers united can weather fire and storm!

Stanza 37:
O Union, your promise and task is most solemn,
To stand sentinel through whatever may come,
Sheltering members from ill winds that rave,
That no one need shoulder life's storms alone or brave.

Stanza 38:  
This charge you have kept since first days of yore,
Never faltering through trials borne galore,  
Now to us falls your legacy, your noble aim,  
To raise up the worker, the righteous proclaim.

Stanza 39:  
No barrier or burden can bar the ascent  
Of a movement so rooted in moral intent,  
So renouncing all fear, in solidarity stand,
To finish the course, we join heart and hand!

Stanza 40:
Brothers and sisters, thus may this mem’ry guide:   
However the gales of fortune shift tie and tide,  
Trust in each other, stand steadfast, souls fused,
Then no force in heaven or earth can keep us subdued!

Stanza 41:
The tree of our Union grows ever skyward,
Its roots are our members, who nourish and guard
Each branch budding with hope, each leaf liberty’s green,
A sanctuary for all where self-worth is seen.  

Stanza 42:
So prune petty quarrels, let harmony be the tune,
Discord and dissension will wither us too soon,
But tending compassion will help peace flower and fruit,  
And see justice served to each branch, vine and root.

Stanza 43:  
Oft hidden, the true worth of menial jobs,
Yet society rests on their oft unthanked cogs-  
The street sweeper, the builder, the farmer who plows,
Deserve dignity for we rest on their nows.

Stanza 44:   
Yet mistreated people in time grow ateem,
Simmering frustration brews to outrage extreme,
So ere wounds of injustice infect and destroy,  
We must raise our voices and fight the good fight.

Stanza 45:
But lasting change emerges from means just and wise,
Not rash deeds that in shameful defeat crystallize,
With patience and wisdom we must chart our trail,
The tortoise defeats the hare without fail.

Stanza 46:
Harsh masters and uncaring systems now hold sway,
But focused on solutions, their rule fades away,
By laying new tracks we reshape what's to come,   
Progress flows from working and walking as one.

Stanza 47:
Each worthy life fits as thread in hope's whole quilt,
By valuing each part the pattern's built,  
Inequity's rents are mended stitch by stitch,
When even the lowliest roles merit respect.

Stanza 48:  
The heights calling to us, the horizons vast,
Step boldly towards them, united and fast!
But measuring worth, let us recall this truth:
True riches dwell not in power or wealth's cache.

Stanza 49:
So flush out old thinking patterns shackled and rigid,
Its waters stagnant, where life cannot be vigorous,
Forward we stride to liberate hearts and minds,
Till equity flows and bigotry confined.

Stanza 50:  
Let bold wings of progress, invention and science
Lift us aloft, an age of enlightenment hence,   
But may wings beat too with empathy, compassion rife,
Lest progress leave decency behind in its flight.

Stanza 51:  
Many hands shape each small step we advance,
No victory won by a single hero's lance,
But rather built slowly, stone upon stone,
By long generations who've sown what we've known.

Stanza 52:
We stand here by grace of good souls now gone,  
Who lit freedom's first sparks at tyranny's dawn,
On their strong shoulders we now carry the fire,  
To spread light and liberty higher and higher.

Stanza 53:
No bird can fly with just a single wing,
Or heart beat with chambers only one side containing,
So too our Movement needs both your part and mine,
To uplift and unite, till equity shine.

Stanza 54:
Yet wings falter and hearts weaken quick,  
If trust falls aside and brotherhood grows sick,
So heal rifts with care, innoculate against blight,  
And together we'll soar to ever more radiant heights!

Stanza 55:  
Let this stand as our pledge, this shared room our altar,
To see each as equal, no matter age, gender or culture,  
To act justly, love mercy, walk humbly- yet strong,
Till workers' rights ring out, our solidarity their song.

Stanza 56:
Harmony's tones sound sweetest in chorus blended,   
Not lone notes in discordant chaos contended,  
So let many sounds unite, become one grand chord,
And raise spirits aloft on its waves heavenward.

Stanza 57:  
As freshets tumbling down mountainsides race,
Rushing, roaring in wild hurry to meet,  
When conjoined they gain force, their currents increased,
So too we multiplied by unity's crest.

Stanza 58:
Yet knowing true worth lies not in power's form,  
The meek heart withstands where brute force meets storm,
So rule justly wise, wield this strength for right,  
Not to conquer and control with arrogance's might.

Stanza 59:  
Let our anthem resound from this hall's rafter,
Swelling in volume, joyful, bold with laughter,
Voices united now, and ever after,
Till workers' hope rings true chapter to chapter!

Stanza 60:
Many seasons will pass, many suns yet to rise,  
Before the world we envision is brought to life,
But persist we must, this legacy now ours,  
To walk on though the finish lies distant hours.

Stanza 61:  
For too long have powerful heels ground us down,
But bonded as one they cannot keep us bound!
Our voices are thunder, our numbers a flood,
Sweeping away all unjust rule's mud.

Stanza 62:
Yet even when we're victorious, ever recall:  
True power lies in lifting the lowly and small,  
Serving all people, both mighty and mousy,  
This grace marks the wise, not brute force or cruelty.  

Stanza 63:   
Much work remains that hands and hearts can yet do,
To right ancient wrongs and fashion the new,
So stride on united, bold, spirits unquieted,
Our eyes fixed ahead on the goals still unwon.

Stanza 64:
And when silence falls on this chamber at last,   
Songs now sung, these hallowed words of past,
May they echo on in each beating heart present,  
To guide and inspire future deeds downstream.

Stanza 65:
O Union, our feet may stumble and trip,  
Lost balance or sight of where next to step,
But you stand steadfast, a compass ever true,  
To lead wandering hearts again homeward anew.

Stanza 66:
For too long we've acquiesced, complaint our only action,
But fermentation breeds revolution, not idle words sans traction,
So pen now petitions, pave roads not yet worn,
And cease not striving till every injustice is outworn.  

Stanza 67:
All living things need nourishment to thrive,
So too our Union must feast to stay alive:
On trust freely given and commitment returned,  
On truth boldly spoken and lessons hard-learned.  

Stanza 68:  
Should doubt or distrust hold back your hand or heart,  
Speak, and let openness ease worry apart,
For problems multiplied in silence grow legions
But shared burdens lose weight, doused by reason.

Stanza 69:
Let our song sound out, each note loud and clear,
A symphony of voices no other can hear,
United we sound, united we stand tall,
And no wrong can linger if together we call.

Stanza 70:
So renounce all worry, cast aside all fear,
The dawn is now breaking, our victory is near!
Take courage, keep walking, though hardships await,
Together we'll overcome and shape a just fate.

Stanza 71:
Past feats never finished and duties left delinquent  
Now transfer to our shoulders, by time and trials unevicted,   
We accept this burden, heavy but honorable all the same,
And pledge to see it through - our generation's goal and aim.

Stanza 72:  
Let petty quarrels fade and discord fall mute,
Harmony is found in each unique note's contribution,  
Blending together in one transcendent chord,
Its music inspires, uplifting souls heavenward.

Stanza 73:   
So too our Union - when voices shout but also heed,
When compassion flows and understanding's sown as seed,
When all play a part in this sanctified whole,
It becomes far greater than each separate role.

Stanza 74:
Much time will pass, long the road stretching ahead,
But step after step we'll walk it together, unfazed, unled.
Stand tall, speakers of truth, timeless values our guide,
And we'll break down all barriers falsehood resides inside!

Stanza 75:  
Let petty disputes dissolve in wisdom's light,
Where reason reveals our bonds to be right.
Then healed of corrosive suspicion's blight,
Our Movement regains its resilience and might.  

Stanza 76:   
Harsh judgments easily spoken mask insecurity within,  
But confidence grown from compassion is armor proof against chagrin,   
So renounce cruel words that injure, fear's bitter fruit,
And unity will flower, our bonds taking root.

Stanza 77:
Oft hopes wane when the journey seems endless,
Each step not visibly moving us crest-ward.
Yet slow progress compounds as currents converge,  
Swelling to mighty rivers - take heart, hold true!

Stanza 78:  
For too long we've endured unjust hands stealing,
Now we rise ripened, and new rules bring sealing -   
Of rights for workers, equity for all people,
Dismantling old ways miserly and feeble.

Stanza 79:
Hardship seeks to crush us, keep us prostrate,
But we will prove stronger and overmaster its weight!
All join now in spirit, clenched hands held high,
And united no darkness or despair can defy!  

Stanza 80:
The dawn breaks, the night flees, no barriers can contain  
Our thirst for justice, burning to end each unjust reign.
March on, hearts courageous, misty horizon now in sight,
Each step brings closer the sun's rising light!