Remember the Poppies

Remember the poppies?
Those small red flowers that we wear this day.
Remember where they grow?
On the headstones of the fallen.
The ones claimed by the other side.
The ones that cannot come home.
This small flower is so dear to many.
It symbolizes the lost and wounded
From battles past, to battles present,
And battles yet to come.
It’s red petals
Are for the blood spilled in the name of peace.
It’s black core
Is for the sorrow felt by the passing of family and friends.
It’s stem
Is for the reason the soldiers fight on.
And it’s seeds,
The smallest part,
Yet the most meaningful,
Is for us.
For the promise of a better tomorrow,
The reason they laid their lives on the line.
Today is a day of remembrance.
Remember the ones who went off for our country.
Remember the ones who sacrificed limbs for out country.
Remember the ones who never returned…
And be thankful.
Remember and be thankful.
It is because of them we are here today.
Because of them the world is a bit better.
So when eleven o’clock rolls around,
Stop.
Be silent.
Bow your head
And say a silent prayer.
One for those who gave their limbs or lives
For the ground you stand upon today.
It only takes a minute.
A minute to remember them,
To remember what they lost,
To remember what they gave.
And to remember the poppies
And why they sit at the head of graves
All over Europe.
Remember the poppies.
Les we forget…