This poem was originally written a year ago for Remembrance Day 2018 but I revisited and edited it a week ago as I felt it needed more of a hopeful message about love and compassion.

For me, remembrance is about the sad loss of so much life through war and to never forget that division and hate can bring devastating consequences if left unchecked.

Poppy Seeds

A Great War
With nothing great to share
But Countless death
Needless death
So many lost
To memory
In unmarked graves

Cannon fodder
Forced to run
Into the light
In a loaded race
Without a hope to live
In a time when hate
Could not forgive

Poppies worn
Lest we forget
That war is futile
And talk is cheap
But loving each other
Will make us keep
A promise to mend
All the tares 
And all the pain

We are the same
When all is said and done
Let us never forget
That war is never won
And we must fight for peace
But with words and love

Let us listen openly
Without bias or hatred
To see all sides
As an opportunity 
To grow and embrace
Our brothers and sisters
As equal
As friends 
Not foes

Poppies pinned to cloth
As memory flags
to remember
The darkest of times
When the spite of the world
Was the only chime
The only crime
The only lie
They only why?

Lest we forget 
Those dark lessons
As love heals 
And if we listen 
To each other
Understand each other
We can tend to our flowers
Water them
Nurture them 
And love them

Poppies for the past 
The present 
And the future 
Bring love not war
Swap flowers for guns
Ears for bullets
Eyes for hearts
Our bodies for life
And wars be gone
Gone for good

Let our fields stay green
And meadows flourish
Not be haunted 
By the ghosts 
Of oppression
Where the innocent fell
To fight for peace
In modern times

Let us freely walk
In jewelled fields
Glittering with hope
And the love to hold 
The light 
Of all we hold dear
Burning bright

Sides that share
Instead of fight
Poppies red
To light the night
Poppies bled
So that we can try
To heal the world
With loving light

Poppies red
Poppies bled
Poppies blooming
From the scattered seeds
Of those we lost
To save our future
At all costs.

You can find out more about my poetry at www.jasonconwaypoetry.co.uk or visit my dedicated poetry page on Facebook at Jason Conway Poetry.

If you have a special occasion to celebrate or commemorate, I can be commissioned to create a bespoke poem for your event.

The artwork used to illustrate the poem can be purchased as a print, framed Giclée print or stretched canvas. Please get in touch for sizing and prices.