Poppy Day

Today is November 11th. Here in the United States it is known as Veterans day. Having grown up in Canada it will always be Remembrance day to me. The day that we remember the sacrifices of armed servicemen and women as well as civilians in times of war. I remember participating in the towns festivities on this day growing up. We had a parade where the veterans of WW1 and WW2 were honoured and there was a wreath placing ceremony by the members of the Legion. A minute of silence was observed at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month. To this day that silence is more penetrating than any words. The silence was broken by the resonating playing of the Last Post on a trumpet. Even though this day occurred when we usually already had snow on the ground there were red blossoms everywhere. All coats were adorned with a red poppy as a symbol of Canadian Soldiers lost in battle. This simple custom with profound meaning is what I miss most.