I’m thinking today of my grandpa and other veterans.
I’m not sure how familiar people are with this poem. Here in Canada, it’s a fixture of Remembrance Day.
It was written during the First World War by Canadian John McCrae, who was born very near our farm. In part because of this poem, “the poppy was adopted as the Flower of Remembrance for the war dead of Britain, France, the United States, Canada and other Commonwealth countries” (Source)
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
Particularly this week, I am thankful to be Canadian. I’m also grateful to the people like my grandfather who took a stand to defend people who needed help and preserve freedom.
Home on 129 Acres 
What a beautiful and sad poem. I am thankful for every veteran both past and present!
I love that poem. I am also grateful to be Canadian this week, though I think I’m nearly as obsessed with the US election as if I lived there (and have been for about a year.) What I DON’T think is that we can rest on our laurels. The same divisions that we can see so clearly now in the US are also present here. In the same way your grandpa and my dad were willing to put everything on the line to protect what mattered most, I think we need do what we can to fix these cracks before they become so deep and wide that you wonder how they can possibly be bridged. Given that the clear division as shown by exit polls is between city and country, your blog has a role to play! I’m grateful for your good and always thoughtful work and journey here.