The Sons of August: Nine Months On

In August 2014, I posted “The Sons of August:  World War I Trench Watches and a Modern Day Tribute to the Fallen.”  In it, I highlighted a collaborative tribute orchestrated by ceramic artist Paul Cummins and stage designer Tom Piper  consisting of 888,246 ceramic poppies, each one assembled by hand and then planted in the Tower of London’s moat.
  
The last one was planted on November 11, 2014, Armistace Day.  Then, the poppies were sold to the public and the proceeds in part distributed to six charities.  The project was called “Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red.”  



Now in April 2015, nine months on, I’ve received my commemorative red poppy from the installation.  Rather than plant it in a time garden as J. G. Ballard’s Count Axel might have done, I planted it firmly in the center of a floral arrangement on our home’s front door.  

Metaphorically it serves as an historical portal reminding me of all of the nonredeemable lives given by World War I British and Colonial men and women who died in the conflict. Had they had more time. what could they have done?

For more information on the entire installation project, see  Tower of London Remembers.  It's an excellent summary of the event.


If any of you who read my blog, also took part in the installation and/or received a poppy from it, let me know and I’ll add any photos you’d like to send of yourself or your p0ppy to this posting.