1 post tagged “l”

I can recall my mother reciting this poem to me when I was younger.  My mother was well read and well versed, and she could recite poems and quotes from anything, anything she felt inspired by.  I have always remembered this poem, in rememberance.  In Australia growing up...and still now - we always paid our respects to the soldiers that fought our wars - on the 11 hour of the 11 day of the 11 month we held rememberance and the whole country stopped for 1 minutes silence for Armistice Day or Veterans Day - to signify the end of WW1 in 1918 and those soldiers that lost their lives - and everyone wore a red poppy, which could be purchased before and on the day and the proceeds went to the Veterans.  Anyway, this poem is very important to me, so I thought I would share.  I was actually inspired by whippetmom red poppy photo on her blog.

In Flanders Fields

by John McCrae, May 1915

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep,
though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Poppy picture