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
I’ve never been very good at understanding poetry, which is probably part of why I adore this Canadian classic so much. It manages to rip your heart out with a vocabulary and writing style that most children can understand. This in my view is the mark of a talented poet!
This line hits especially hard: If ye break faith with us who die, We shall not sleep, though poppies growIn Flanders fields.
Whatever you may think of why they fought, I admire the heroism of these men who made the ultimate sacrifice for what they believed in. I hope I can raise my own children with the same virtue and willingness to suffer for the good.
We must not break faith with the men of our past, not for anything. If we fall from the shoulders of giants, we will be lost. Possibly forever.
