09 November 2008

Remembrance Sunday

Today at 11am, we will stand silently and think of the sacrifices that the men (and women) in the British armed forces, both today and in the past, have lost their lives so we may enjoy our freedom.

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.

Liet.-Col. John McCrae

6 comments:

Elaine said...

That is a lovely piece of poetry.

dickiebo said...

Just right, Sage. I have copied it onto my blog, as I think it says things exactly right. Thanks.

Dark Side said...

Perfect Sage I am going to do the same...xx

PC Plastic Fuzz said...

As above. Very appropriate piece of poetry indeed.

AnneDroid said...

I've found this year that various replies to this poem have been written over the years, for example this one:

We Shall Keep the Faith
Moina Michael

Oh! You who sleep in Flanders' Fields
Sleep sweet - to rise anew;
We caught the torch you threw,
And holding high we kept
The faith with those who died.

We cherish, too, the Poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led.
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies.
But lends a lustre to the red
On the flower that blooms above the dead
In Flanders' fields.

And now the torch and Poppy red
Wear in honour of our dead.
Fear not that ye have died for naught:
We've learned the lesson that ye taught
In Flanders' fields.

The W.O.W. factor! said...

Hi Sage, these are wonderful words! I'm thinking your Remembrance Sunday must be the equilant of our Veterans Day.
It's nice to see this, and we must thank them all for all they've given to their countries.
{Hugs Sage}
Barb
ps...you are my first place to visit, (don't know how many others I'll get to today, but needed to come here first! I've missed catching up on your life!