Veterans Day

I always have good intentions for days like Veterans Day, but they haven't always come to fruition. I suppose that's because previously that day hasn't really been carved in my heart. Growing up I don't remember much mention of Veterans Day--it was always a misunderstood afterthought as I'd wonder why the library was closed or the mail didn't come and then I'd get the explanation, "It's Veterans Day." Okay, so what? What a shame. I don't know why that was, nor do I understand how WWI somehow never made it on my internal hard drive of history. I knew it happened, but never knew why or much else about it. 

During my adult years I've slowly learned more and have wanted my children to appreciate and observe Veterans Day. Some years I've succeeded in marking the day, but we haven't been consistent and I've always felt we should do more. It doesn't help that November 11 somehow seems to sneak up on me. I'm in autumn mode, then Thanksgiving mode, and Veterans Day just kind of surprises me there in the middle.

This year, thanks to being subscribed to thatartistwoman (who, bless her, creates a poppy and Remembrance Day art project annually) I was reminded earlier than the day before--or the day of--and was able to plan ahead.

I wanted to incorporate Gail's Poppy Patterns with learning "In Flanders Fields." That was the beginning of my plan, along with some basic background and history.

IN FLANDERS FIELDS POEM

The World’s Most Famous WAR MEMORIAL POEM

By Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae

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

Composed at the battlefront on May 3, 1915 

during the second battle of Ypres, Belgium

We began our day singing the hymn, "God of Our Fathers, Known of Old," the text of which was written by Rudyard Kipling.

Thanks to my friend, Audrey, we were pointed in the direction of a few other great resources for the day.  My favorites were this dramatic reading of "In Flanders Fields" by Leonard Cohen...

... and the video reading of The Poppy Lady, an inspiring biographical picture book of Moina Belle Michael by Barbara Walsh.

We Shall Keep the Faith

by Moina Michael, November 1918

Moina Michael

Oh! you who sleep in Flanders Fields,

Sleep sweet - to rise anew!

We caught the torch you threw

And holding high, we keep the Faith

With All who died.

We cherish, too, the poppy red

That grows on fields where valor led;

It seems to signal to the skies

That blood of heroes never dies,

But lends a lustre to the red

Of the flower that blooms above the dead

In Flanders Fields.

And now the Torch and Poppy Red

We wear in honor of our dead.

Fear not that ye have died for naught;

We'll teach the lesson that ye wrought

In Flanders Fields.

The above poem was Moina's personal, quickly penned poetic pledge after reading "In Flanders Fields. She certainly made good on her pledge!  I think her poem is just as compelling.

I was also grateful that we were able to tie into our biology and botany studies discussing the conditions in which the poppies were able to flourish on a battlefield, namely that the churned, war-torn earth surfaced the dormant seeds and conditions, including an unusually warm spring, were suited to the poppies thriving. The poppies are not just a symbol of remembrance, but also a symbol of hope, of life after death.


Here are photos of a couple of our projects at the end of the day, mine and one of my children's.