Lest We Forget

[maggiebee]

As November approaches.............

Why are they selling poppies, Mummy?
Selling poppies in town today.
The poppies, child, are flowers of love.
For the men who marched away.

But why have they chosen a poppy, Mummy?
Why not a beautiful rose?
Because my child, men fought and died
In the fields where the poppie grows.

But why are the poppies so red, Mummy?
Why are the poppies so red?
Red is the colour of blood, my child.
The blood that our soldiers shed.

The heart of the poppy is black, Mummy.
Why does it have to be black?
Black, my child, is the symbol of grief.
For the men who never came back.

But why, Mummy are you crying so?
Your tears are giving you pain.
My tears are my fears for you my child.
For the world is forgetting again

[hellywelly4]

That's beautiful, and so sad. Thank you, maggiebee x

[retrocop]

How very poignant.

[B00]

In reality you'd hear...

"For Gawds sake Chantelle, stop asking questions, here's a Greggs sausage roll"


Possibly ;-)

[bookbinder]

They'll get my donation, as soon as I see a collecting box, and I hope that my small gift will do some good.

[Retrochic]

Poppies are not red because of the shedded blood -they are red because red poppies were the first things to grow back on Flanders field after WW1 and they were picked to represent Hope defeating despair.

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.

[marval]

That is lovely, I haven't seen anyone selling poppies yet. I hope I see them soon.

[THECORBYLOON]

I bought some poppies on Monday.

[DTCwordfan]

they're out down here on the back of the tragic death of Rifleman Dave Curnow, ex Afghani veteran at 20, who was murdered outside a kebab house in that salubrious joint called Redruth, probably worse than Kabul.......bloody yobbos, two of them charged. Curnow's funeral was a military one - in the Cathedral yesterday.

[retrocop]

marval
I am collecting the litttle enamel dated pin badges now. I have three or four so far. The first one wasn't dated.
My wife bought me a plasic keyring poppy that was on display/sale in the reception of her Endoscopy unit. That's a new one to me.

[Hopkirk]

Retrochic is right, the red of the poppies does not signify blood.

Poppies are a symbol of new life.

[DTCwordfan]

there are ones for the animals too, nice touch.............

[Prudie]

We started selling them at work on Monday but I'm on a military site.

[retrocop]

I suppose the white poppys that our CND supporters who heckle the Royal Family at the British Legion Royal Albert Ceremony every year represent Capitulation.
"Come friendly bombs and fall on Kensington Gore opposite RAH on Remembrance Evening"
Sorry John. They pee me off along with those who destroy the red poppy.

[DTCwordfan]

with the addition of a grizzly, green duffle coat at the Cenotaph - and the white feather? Will he or won't he? His white tie wasn't exactly 'fitting'......

[Mamyalynne]

Lovely poem, thank you.


I know I post the link every year but you can buy so much and give someone a gift with an extra meaning too.

http://www.poppyshop.org.uk/?gclid=CIGvj6i82cgCFePnwgodg4UB5w

[jourdain2]

I don't buy a poppy until 1st November. I had to organise it earlier in France, because they were hard to come by (we always managed - there is an ex-pat. British Legion group but it covers a large area).

The French were always very accepting about us attending the war memorial with them and sharing their Remembrance - they very happily let us lay a few poppies amongst their tributes. I put the local shop in touch with the B.L. and they now have some poppies to sell.

Re. poems - I heard this on the Archers and looked it up. By Major Malcolm Boyd who was killed on D-Day. It begins:-
If I should never see the moon again
Rising, red gold, above the harvest fields....

Really very worthwhile reading.

[DTCwordfan]

I wore the two last year, and will this year, the memory of all the animals taken out in the name of war, almost as valid as the men and women who died.