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.
This poem written by Canadian physician John McCrae following the burial of a friend on May 2nd, 1915 was inspired by the poppies growing wild in Belgium during the first world war. The soil disturbed by digging trenches, graves and frequent arial bombing, turned out to be a perfect seed base for the red poppy flower. He noticed how rapidly the poppies grew around the graves. The poem took him about twenty minutes to write and endures even a century later encapsulating the memory of those who sacrificed their life to stop the German advance in that battle. The VFW Buddy Poppy sales held before Memorial Day each year since 1922 was also inspired by this poem.
About five years ago Rita Gilbert of West Concord was asked to paint a mural for the American Legion Hall and she agreed to try her hand at a smaller canvas. This past February she started working on it and collected pictures of poppy fields to draw from for the painting. A 4’ x 5’ canvas was chosen for the project. She finished the painting in October in time for Veteran’s Day. It was donated to the American Legion Post 295. There will be a Donut Day on March 4th for Fat Tuesday and you can see it then if you stop by to purchase a box of doughnuts.
