Ceramic Poppies To Decorate Bluff

Fairhope, Alabama

VETERANS DAY 2015

Three thousand ceramic poppies constructed by eastern shore artists will start appearing on the bluff Tuesday in preparation for the annual memorial service there on Wednesday at 4:45 PM.

(The poppies are for sale though the ESAC: proceeds go to veterans)

November 11th marks the day in 1918 WWI ended -- and has been known as Remembrance, Poppy, or Armistice Day in other countries.

Visitors got a sneak-peek during Art Walk last Friday.

The poppy theme refers to a famous poem written by a soldier in WWI:

"In Flanders Fields" is a war poem in the form of a rondeau, written during the First World War by Canadian physician Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae. He was inspired to write it on May 3, 1915, after presiding over the funeral of friend and fellow soldier Alexis Helmer, who died in the Second Battle of Ypres. According to legend, fellow soldiers retrieved the poem after McCrae, initially dissatisfied with his work, discarded it. "In Flanders Fields" was first published on December 8 of that year in the London-based magazine Punch.



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. 
















Comments

Anonymous said…
Totally awesome. Can't wait to see the display. We need to remember ALL veterans on this day. If not for them, we would not live the lives we live. I'm afraid our great nation will be in for hard times in the future. Please give all of our veterans the respect due them, not matter what war.
Anonymous said…
Is this inspired by the magnificent display last year in London?
Anonymous said…
Yes it is. The lady that spear headed this saw the display in London and thought it would be good here too. Totally agree. It was an awesome sight.
Anonymous said…
Can anyone still purchase a poppie. If so who do you contact and how much?
Publisher said…
ask these folks: https://www.facebook.com/fairhopesunsetrotaryevents/
John Hefner said…
Uncannily appropriate in respect of those killed in Paris last Friday......not far from Flanders.....