Poppies

**Butelczynski** · #2 10-25-2018, 05:09 PM

In Polish military history red poppies have a little different meaning.They remind us of a song about Monte Cassino battle during WW2.Nov 11 is our Independence Day.
When I was in Scouts we remembered both events as well as the end of WW1.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Re..._Monte_Cassino

**elliott** · #3 10-25-2018, 11:26 PM

Beautiful poem Johnny. Thanks for posting it.

**Kevin WS** · #4 10-26-2018, 01:52 AM

Nice poem John.

The classic "poppy" poem is "In Flanders Fields" by McCrae.

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.

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For those of you who want to make a paper poppy to wear on Remembrance Day here is a link to a particularly nice poppy that is wearable.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYZImc0Cuug

But I believe if you are in a country where poppies are sold for Remembrance Day, you should always buy a poppy to support The Royal British Legion (if you are in the UK) or its equivalent.

Poppy making for wear is really for countries where poppies are not sold - Africa, Asia etc.

And I believe the USA? What about Canada?

**Butelczynski** · #5 10-26-2018, 03:04 AM

We have Poppies everywhere in Brampton,Canada.Lots of people wear them but growing number of people don't.Kids tel me they are discouraged from wearing them in school,not all of schools but some.Last few years on Nov 11 crowd gets bigger by Cenotaphs than say 10 years ago but that might be just my iffy memory.

**Kevin WS** · #6 10-26-2018, 07:09 AM

Butelczynski - interesting that some kids are discouraged from wearing them. And not really acceptable if they choose to do so.

**JohnM** · #7 10-26-2018, 08:39 AM

In my neck of the woods most people do briefly wear a poppy, but surprisingly few will attend the ceremony at the war memorial. The local church will have their Remembrance Sunday service when the British Legion will lay a couple of wreaths at the nearby memorial, but for the last few years I've stood there alone on Armistice Day.

**Kevin WS** · #8 10-26-2018, 10:48 AM

And there I am flying all the way to the UK this year for Remembrance Day again!

Maybe the lack of attendance/interest is due to the dwindling numbers of servicemen left?

**herky** · #9 10-26-2018, 11:59 AM

in new zealand we have remembrance day in novemember but the big day here ia anzac day 25th april which is highly focused on gallipoli campaign in WW1,every town have dawn ceremonys at memorials

**Ckendzierski** · #10 10-26-2018, 02:07 PM

You would be lucky to find anything special being done around here except for the news saying something it is baerly even talked about in the schools