Greetings …

Did you wear a poppy on Friday?  The tradition of wearing a poppy on Remembrance Day began with a poem written in the trenches.  A Canadian doctor, Major John McCrae, penned the poem in 1915 after becoming devastated by the death of a young soldier.

                     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 Field.

                     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.

When American Moina Michael heard this poem she vowed to wear a poppy in remembrance of those who had lost their lives.  She also campaigned for the flower to be adopted as a national symbol of remembrance.  Silk poppies were made in France to raise money for war orphans and the rest is history.  More than a century after this poem was written, poppies are worn every November 11.

Let we forget.

Blessings – Heather.