Richard Littledale's
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And then what? Every single one of the poppies in Paul Cummins' and Tom Piper's installation at the Tower of London, 'Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red' has been sold. Each ceramic poppy, which took three days to make, will find its way to a new home once the installation is dismantled. Where will they go, I wonder? Will they adorn a window box in a high rise block of flats, a chic office in the city, a potting shed in the suburbs or a cottage garden in the Home Counties? Once there, will they lose the significance afforded by their 888,245 companions - or will they gain a kind of poignancy of their own, like a lone piper playing a lament? Somebody could make a fascinating photo story by following these tokens of remembrance on their way (click here) The thing is, remembrance of any kind is intended to affect the future rather than dwelling on the past. The poppy should be as much a warning about what might be as a reminder of what was. Every time God urged his people to look back in the Old Testament it was to ensure that they might step forward in a better way. On this year, 100 years since the First World War began, acts of remembrance will hold a particular significance for many. Perhaps the most solemn site of all will be the National War Memorial in Ottawa, where Captain Nathan Cirillo was gunned down last month. That a soldier should fall victim to a new conflict whilst standing guard over the memorial to an old one seems especially sad. All the poppies in all the world have not yet stemmed the tide of violence, it would seem. 'Remember your creator' says the writer of Ecclesiastes, which seems sound advice at any time of year. |
To see some images showing what has happened to the poppies from 'Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red' click here |