Flanders Field

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Red Poppies are Not Artificial

The red poppy is a real and hardy flower that thrives in Belgium, France, England, and along the streets of Georgetown, Texas. This vibrant wildflower is a strong and passionate symbol of the sacrifices made by members of the armed forces across Europe, Canada, and the United States.

Poppies are authentic.

Poppies are powerful.

Poppies are the perfect reminder of the true meaning of Memorial Day in the United States.  A stark and true symbol of remembrance and hope.

I first learned about the poppy when I was 10 years old and competing in my local VFW Post’s Poppy Queen contest.  Having studied the history and background of the red and black flower, I have grown to appreciate its beauty and enduring symbolism.  While paper replicas of the Papaver roheas are hand-crafted and distributed outside thousands of grocery stores on Memorial Day weekend in the U.S., they are not artificial.  Rather, they represent the truest of all human experiences – that of noble sacrifice for one’s country.

It is an honor to don a red poppy in remembrance for those who have served in the military and paid the ultimate price.

The last stanza of the famous WWI poem, In Flanders Field, strikes me in my heart every time I read or recite it:

“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 Field.”

The reality of humankind’s warlike ways is painfully evident across the globe and the valiant fight of good against evil continues.   The simple red poppy remains a strong and radiant light of truth, power and sacrifice.  Nothing is more real than that.

 

 

 

 

 

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The Power of the Poppy

I’ve known for a long time that the power of the poppy was strong and now, based on the events of the past 3 months, I feel that the significance and impact of the fragile, red flower is immense.

One hundred years ago today, 3 May 1915, the “In Flanders Fields” poem was inspired and is an enduring and powerful symbol of the sacrifices made on the battlefield.SmallPoppypillow

In the coming days, I will share with you the story of a former Poppy Queen who paid tribute to her veteran Father and now wishes to honor and remember another Veteran and Father who recently passed away, but not before he proudly watched his daughter be crowned the Poppy Queen of VFW Post 1.

Now I take up the torch and hold it high for all to see so that those who fought so valiantly are not forgotten.

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In Flanders Fields 

by Lieutenant Colonel 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.