Memorial Day 2021

Day is done, gone the sun,
From the lake, from the hills, from the sky;
All is well, safely rest, God is nigh.

Fading light, dims the sight,
And a star gems the sky, gleaming bright.
From afar, drawing nigh, falls the night.

Thanks and praise, for our days,
‘Neath the sun, ‘neath the stars, neath the sky;
As we go, this we know, God is nigh.

Sun has set, shadows come,
Time has fled, Scouts must go to their beds
Always true to the promise that they made.

While the light fades from sight,
And the stars gleaming rays softly send,
To thy hands we our souls, Lord, commend.

Memorial Day 2011

Memorial Day PoppyIt must be Memorial Day weekend.  The sound of motorcycles gathering for Rolling Thunder is in the air along with sightings of American Legion and VFW Auxiliary ladies selling Poppies.  And, as usual, the weather here has abruptly changed from spring to summer.

Memorial Day

One of the Memorial Day weekend traditions here in the Washington, DC area is the gathering of of thousands of motorcyclists for the “Run to the Wall.”

And, another much older tradition that we sometimes overlook..the American Legion Auxiliary ladies selling Poppies to raise money to help veterans in need.

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.

—By John McCrae