Monday, May 31, 2010

Memorial Day


"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, 1915. 
 
My husband was a VietNam Vet..
and every year we always purchased our
poppies from an aged Vet
standing outside the grocery store exit
with bouquets of paper poppies in one hand
and a donation can in the other.
I would tie mine to my purse handle...where it stayed until
it was just a 'stem'...
he would fix his to the breast pocket of his favorite jacket(s).

I went out this year
especially to search for the Vets with the Poppies...
I didn't get one last year
and I was really bothered by that.
It's one of those things I like to do in remembrance of
a 'tradition' I shared with my husband.

2 comments:

The Words Crafter said...

Memories can be so bittersweet...I hope you found some...

Aubrie said...

Beautiful story to share on Memorial Day.