In Flanders Fields

by 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.

This poem by Canada’s John McCrae, born in Guelph Ontario, was written on May 3rd in 1915.

It is something that my father dramatically recited to us every November 11th.

Poppies were always respectfully worn in our household, as ‘Lest we forget’ , was a saying

shared, a cautionary phrase reminding us of the sacrifices made by those who fought and died

in war.

To me the word sombre and November fittingly go together like peanut butter and jelly.

I believe it was Louisa May Alcott’s Jo March character from ‘Little Women’ who said,

“November is the most disagreeable month of the year.”

Admittedly, I am in agreement with dear Jo on this subject. I too have always found it to be the

most unpleasant of the twelve months.

It is as if October’s fire-like hues suddenly get a run through November’s wash cycle, draining its

vibrancy into mournful shades of gray. This eleventh month has earlier sunsets and later sunrises where we live, with more persistent

cloud cover and can only bring us our first snow, which only further cements the foundation to

mine and Miss March’s case.

The only first snow fall in November that I can remember truly getting excited about as an adult,

was on its 5th day in 2010. It was when I introduced Memphis, our first bull terrier, to his first

snowfall.

Not only was he a June puppy, but was named after the city he was born in.

His initiation with the tiny cold white flakes was delightful to witness. It was a magical

production put on by Mother Nature, as they floated down around us, disappearing on contact.

Thanks to his dad’s quick thinking a pic was taken, capturing forever that cherished family

moment.

I choose to let this memory stand as a reminder, that a little light can brighten even the grayest

and most disagreeable of months.