[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 16]
[Senate]
[Pages 21546-21547]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               TRIBUTE TO THE LATE SENATOR PAUL WELLSTONE

  Mr. DAYTON. Mr. President, I have been asked by a Capitol employee, 
Mr. Albert Cary Caswell, to have printed in the Congressional Record a 
poem he wrote in memory of the late, great Minnesota Senator, Paul 
Wellstone.
  Senator Wellstone was my friend of 22 years and Minnesota's senior 
Senator and my mentor during my first 2 years here. I have missed his 
conscience, his courage, and his eloquence in the Senate every day 
since his tragic death in an airplane crash nearly 4 years ago.
  There being no objection, the poem was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                          Walking With Giants

                        (By Albert Cary Caswell)

     We who here, who have walked upon life's road . . .
     A question asked,``What of the full measure of one's 
           footprints cast . . . as to this our world as 
           bestowed?''
     Are ours but just mere footprints, or with giant gaits have 
           we here now strode? As all within these our short 
           lifetimes shows!

     Do we walk with giants, or but there with just mere men?
     Do we dare to grow, do we dare to be great . . . as time and 
           time again? As these our lifetimes begin!
     Will we become giants, or will we forever more remain but 
           just mere men? As in this, our shortest of times our 
           lives as then . . .

     Shine!
     For in our lives and in our times, will we fade or will we 
           shine?
     Are we that bright beacon of light and hope which so 
           brilliantly shines? That

[[Page 21547]]

           bright beam of light which so flows through time!

     One Paul Wellstone, whose title as a giant as now so belongs!
     For in his life and in his deeds, for in this his courageous 
           quest to so succeed. . . . his bright legend as a giant 
           so lives on . . .
     A small man of girth, but within his great heart and his soul 
           . . . and all within his mind, so lies his true worth 
           as he has gone!

     For from this his most humble of beginnings, as had he so 
           come!
     As to a professor, who with his great burning passion so 
           taught our future . . . had so led our young!
     Until, on a little green school bus. . . . his dreams were so 
           to be cast! As well into a future where his greatness 
           was to be so sung!

     A man, who among his classrooms would so spread his dreams . 
           . .
     Talking of all those giants, who so upon a Senate floor as 
           throughout the decades had convened . . .
     As one day too, Paul . . . would also walk upon those most 
           hallowed of all halls . . . where too, his greatness 
           would be seen!

     Walking with giants. . . . such as Dole, Glenn, Thurmond, 
           Byrd, Simpson, Inouye and Kennedy . . .
     A proud Liberal . . . a man of great passion . . . for in him 
           we were all but ``Left With The Best'' oh so very 
           splendidly!
     A Great American Patriot . . . a most courageous candidate . 
           . . a Great Crusader and A True Fine Champion of 
           Democracy!

     A man with a huge heart,
     A man with such a warm smile, which so placed him high above 
           all the others . . . while, setting him apart!
     A fighter and a champion . . . a true winner among just mere 
           men . . . the little guy's best friend . . . a true 
           fine work of art!

     In this the arena of life . . . he was but a sheer delight!
     A Great Father . . . A Great Husband . . . A Wonderful Human 
           Being . . . who to all so brought his light!
     For the steps that he made, clearly so portrays the stuff of 
           which giants are made . . . as we so ponder here this 
           night!

     An American Tale . . . as was his, The True Great American 
           Dream . . .
     So happy and so blessed, as he stood so boldly debating near 
           Webster's desk. . . . as ever so he was seen!
     Like a modern day Webster, Clay, or Calhoun he too, made 
           history's heart so swoon . . . where, and whenever he 
           convened!

     For within his life and within his times, there are but so 
           many great truths about him of which we find,
     As he's left us with such great lessons, with such bright 
           lights . . . to touch all of our children's hearts and 
           minds!
     All about being warm and kind, all about passion within 
           hearts & within strong minds, and that no mountain 
           cannot be climbed!

     As he was a shining voice!
     As he was a Liberal's Liberal, as he was truly his people's 
           choice!
     A battler no doubt, while reaching out. . . . ever speaking 
           out. . . . for all of those others, who so surely had 
           no voice!

     If only but as Paul. . . . we too. . . . in our lives. . . . 
           and our times. . . . could all so live . . .
     Oh what great gifts we could shine, to these our children and 
           this our world in our time, Oh such warm blessings we 
           would give!
     For in this our lives and in these our times, will we such 
           the courage find, To Walk With Giants, touching the 
           lives of all who live!

       In Memory of a great American Patriot--Paul Wellstone--his 
     wife Sheila, and his precious daughter Marcia, and all those 
     aboard the plane. May our Lord bless the families and help 
     them to find peace. (This was read in Minnesota, on 
     television for his memorial.)

                          ____________________