Driving in the French country side I was moved to see a field of Poppies. I took these in the Normandy region but am now driving past Verdun that saw so many lives taken needlessly during WWI. We did not stop in Verdun, the tour guide said there was nothing to see. Yet it’s not always about seeing, but feeling and this area inspires reverence. The poppy has become a symbol of the war, especially after the poem. I was happy to be able to see them in this area and remember the lives given.
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.
Historically Speaking 