Unfortunately the poppy lapel pin is not a tradition in Washington DC – so I dont have one this year to show my tradition support on this really important day. This is a photo I took a few years ago at the Tower Of London, where they had this striking and emotional tribute of one poppy for each of the allied soldiers killed in the great war; 888246 of them.
The poppy was of course inspired by the poem “In Flanders Fields” by the Canadian poet John Mcrae.
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.
Adam Blackwell 