“In Flanders fields the poppies blow…”
A hundred years ago, these familiar lines by John McCrae first showed the connection between our fallen soldiers and the poppy. Then the “Poppy Lady,” American professor and YWCA volunteer Moina Michael, became so inspired by this poem that she created the modern day poppy movement.
So we go to our local store or veterans’ association and buy a poppy. We buy one and wear it on our left side – close to our heart. The poppy has become a recognized symbol of remembrance and commemoration for our fallen military personnel. But at the end of the day, what are we supposed to do with our poppies?
Sometimes I see people wearing them into late November. But then what? Sometimes they get lost. Sometimes they fall under the car seat. Sometimes they’re put away in drawers, mixed in with socks and old pennies. There must be a better destination for our poppies.
So here’s an idea: leave your poppy behind.
Every year I try to attend a Remembrance Day ceremony. I’m always deeply moved by the reverence and solemnity of the occasion. And when it’s over, I always take away with me a stronger relationship with history and the echoes of the past.
Last year, after attending a ceremony at Vimy Ridge Park on Portage Avenue, I noticed hundreds of spectators laying down their poppies around the wreaths and monuments. This is a newer practice observed by many across the country and especially notable in Ottawa. I wasn’t completely familiar with the ritual.
Thinking about this action, I realized that the purchase of a poppy could be interpreted as an unspoken pledge. We buy it, we wear it, but to complete the bond, perhaps we are meant to give it back. It sounds counter-productive, but maybe the poppy is worn so it can be returned. By giving it back, you’re giving something back to the men and women who have given us so much.
This year I attended the ceremony at Bruce Park in Winnipeg. For the first time, I left my poppy behind. I’m not advocating everyone should do it (what we choose to do with our poppies is a matter of personal choice). But perhaps think of it as an alternative to leaving it somewhere more trivial. And if you have a few poppies lying around, bring them to a local cenotaph or military memorial. Nov. 11 doesn’t have to be the only day for remembrance.
Leaving your poppy on a monument or on a wreath may be a small act, but it’s a powerful one. The journey of the poppy will have come full circle.
