For The Fallen
With proud thanksgiving, a mother for her children,
England mourns for her dead across the sea.
Flesh of her flesh they were, spirit of her spirit,
Fallen in the cause of the free.
Solemn the drums thrill; Death august and royal
Sings sorrow up into immortal spheres,
There is music in the midst of desolation
And a glory that shines upon our tears.
They went with songs to the battle, they were young,
Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted;
They fell with their faces to the foe.
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years contemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
They mingle not with their laughing comrades again;
They sit no more at familiar tables of home;
They have no lot in our labour of the day-time;
They sleep beyond England's foam.
But where our desires are and our hopes profound,
Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight,
To the innermost heart of their own land they are known
As the stars are known to the Night;
As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust,
Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain;
As the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness,
To the end, to the end, they remain.
Laurence Binyon
We took W to the Remembrance Day Service, which was held at the war memorial in the city. I have never been more proud of his behaviour.
We went the day before to see where it would be. We talked a lot about the symbols and traditions (poppies, the last post, 1 minute silence), and how there would be lots of returned soldiers there, who were remembering their friends.
When we arrived and the ceremony hadn't started, we walked through the field of remembrance, and looked at all the crosses. We looked at the medals of returned soldiers, and watched the marching band prepare.
Once the ceremony got started, W was very solemn, taking it all in. When people were laying wreaths, he listened to the music, and said "That's lovely music, they're playing the music "sad" because of all the soldiers who didn't come home."
We listened to the ode of remembrance, and then we heard the last post (I'm fine until they play the first note, and then the tears start). At the conclusion of the ceremony, we all sang the national anthem. W got it word perfect, and stood very patriotically too, much to the amazement of the Canadian tourists next to us.
With proud thanksgiving, a mother for her children,
England mourns for her dead across the sea.
Flesh of her flesh they were, spirit of her spirit,
Fallen in the cause of the free.
Solemn the drums thrill; Death august and royal
Sings sorrow up into immortal spheres,
There is music in the midst of desolation
And a glory that shines upon our tears.
They went with songs to the battle, they were young,
Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted;
They fell with their faces to the foe.
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years contemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
They mingle not with their laughing comrades again;
They sit no more at familiar tables of home;
They have no lot in our labour of the day-time;
They sleep beyond England's foam.
But where our desires are and our hopes profound,
Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight,
To the innermost heart of their own land they are known
As the stars are known to the Night;
As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust,
Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain;
As the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness,
To the end, to the end, they remain.
Laurence Binyon
We took W to the Remembrance Day Service, which was held at the war memorial in the city. I have never been more proud of his behaviour.
We went the day before to see where it would be. We talked a lot about the symbols and traditions (poppies, the last post, 1 minute silence), and how there would be lots of returned soldiers there, who were remembering their friends.
When we arrived and the ceremony hadn't started, we walked through the field of remembrance, and looked at all the crosses. We looked at the medals of returned soldiers, and watched the marching band prepare.
Once the ceremony got started, W was very solemn, taking it all in. When people were laying wreaths, he listened to the music, and said "That's lovely music, they're playing the music "sad" because of all the soldiers who didn't come home."
We listened to the ode of remembrance, and then we heard the last post (I'm fine until they play the first note, and then the tears start). At the conclusion of the ceremony, we all sang the national anthem. W got it word perfect, and stood very patriotically too, much to the amazement of the Canadian tourists next to us.
1 comment:
I am so proud of W!!
But you obviously put in alot of hard work preparing him for what he would experience, so good on ya, Frey!!
I'm super busy this week, and heading to mexico for a week starting sunday, so will give you a call when we get home.
love kate
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