Remembrance Day - Nov 11th


In Flanders Fields

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.

- John McCrae

Reply to Flanders Fields

Oh! sleep in peace where poppies grow;
The torch your falling hands let go
Was caught by us, again held high,
A beacon light in Flanders sky
That dims the stars to those below.
You are our dead, you held the foe,
And ere the poppies cease to blow,
We'll prove our faith in you who lie
In Flanders Fields.
Oh! rest in peace, we quickly go
To you who bravely died, and know
In other fields was heard the cry,
For freedom's cause, of you who lie,
So still asleep where poppies grow,
In Flanders Fields.

As in rumbling sound, to and fro,
The lightning flashes, sky aglow,
The mighty hosts appear, and high
Above the din of battle cry,
Scarce heard amidst the guns below,
Are fearless hearts who fight the foe,
And guard the place where poppies grow.
Oh! sleep in peace, all you who lie
In Flanders Fields.

And still the poppies gently blow,
Between the crosses, row on row.
The larks, still bravely soaring high,
Are singing now their lullaby
To you who sleep where poppies grow
In Flanders Fields.

- John Mitchell

  • Veterans Affairs Canada

  • Stained Glass Windows of Memorial Hall (Kingston ON)
  • A Canadian's Visit to Vimy Ridge
  • The Memory Project (Dominion Institute)
  • Liberation of Apeldoorn 1945
  • Canadian War Museum
  • Commonwealth War Graves Commission
  • World War II Memorial (U.S.)
  • Battlefield Paintings: Mary Riter Hamilton 1919-1922
  • CANOE: Remembrance Day
  • Art of First World War
  • Veterans Memorial Highway

  • Canada's National Aviation Museum
  • Canadian Women in Aviation

  • A British Soldier Remembers
  • Canadian Heroes
  • The Aerodrome Magazine
  • RCAF Memorial Museum
  • Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum
  • Canadian Historical Airplane Association
  • Berdusco's Remembrance Day Page
  • Henry Lee's Remembrance Day Page
  • Books of Remembrance
  • Cdn Aviation Hall of Fame
  • John Mitchell's Response to Poem

  • Naval Officers Association of Canada
  • Canadian Coast Guard
  • The War Amps of Canada
  • The Naval Museum of Alberta
  • Maritime Museum of Atlantic
  • Lord Strathcona's Horse Museum
  • Comox Air Force Museum
  • U.S. Sources
  • 			PLEASE WEAR A POPPY 
         
                      "Please wear a poppy," the lady said
                    And held one forth, but I shook my head.
              Then I stopped and watched as she offered them there,
                   And her face was old and lined with care;
                    But beneath the scars the years had made
                  There remained a smile that refused to fade.
                                        
                      A boy came whistling down the street,
                        Bouncing along on care-free feet.
                       His smile was full of joy and fun,
                       "Lady," said he, "may I have one?"
                    When she's pinned it on he turned to say,
                         "Why do we wear a poppy today?"
                                        
                       The lady smiled in her wistful way
                     And answered, "This is Remembrance Day,
                      And the poppy there is the symbol for
                        The gallant men who died in war.
                   And because they did, you and I are free -
                      That's why we wear a poppy, you see.
                                        
                          "I had a boy about your size,
                       With golden hair and big blue eyes.
                      He loved to play and jump and shout,
                       Free as a bird he would race about.
                    As the years went by he learned and grew
                      and became a man - as you will, too.
                                        
                  "He was fine and strong, with a boyish smile,
                   But he'd seemed with us such a little while
                      When war broke out and he went away.
                       I still remember his face that day
                    When he smiled at me and said,  Goodbye,
                  I'll be back soon, Mom, so please don't cry.
                                        
                    "But the war went on and he had to stay,
                      And all I could do was wait and pray.
                      His letters told of the awful fight,
                   (I can see it still in my dreams at night),
                 With the tanks and guns and cruel barbed wire,
                 And the mines and bullets, the bombs and fire.
                                        
                    "Till at last, at last, the war was won-
                      And that's why we wear a poppy son."
                        The small boy turned as if to go,
                   Then said, "Thanks, lady, I'm glad to know.
                    That sure did sound like an awful fight,
                   But your son - did he come back all right?"
                                        
                      A tear rolled down each faded cheek;
                      She shook her head, but didn't speak.
                        I slunk away in a sort of shame,
                  And if you were me you'd have done the same;
                   For our thanks, in giving, if oft delayed,
              Thought our freedom was bought - and thousands paid!
                                        
                        And so when we see a poppy worn,
                       Let us reflect on the burden borne,
                        By those who gave their very all
                    When asked to answer their country's call
                      That we at home in peace might live.
                    Then wear a poppy!   Remember - and give!
                                        
                                                  by Don Crawford
    


    This page has been accessed 3906 times, since December 2005
    Email comments and suggestions to Webmaster
    This page copyright © 1996-2003 Flynn-Martin Associates. Last updated November 2005
    Web Site Provider - Kingston Online Services - A project of the Canajun Notebook