teenLook #6 - November 2019 - Arizona Skeoch

The Day the Poppies Bloomed
The field cradled the body of a lifeless soldier,
The stain of his blood made the day so much colder.
I’d imagined his pleas as he was brought to his knees,
How can man justify such savage killing sprees?
For it’s a heavy cross to bear,
The price of warfare.
Those lost lay so courageous and young,
Countless heroes tragically unsung.
I wish I knew each soldier’s story,
And whether they received their final glory.
Were they awarded medals of bravery?
Or, were they serving in conscripted slavery?
While generals counted those slain,
Had they ever wondered if their men died in vain?
For many say, two wrongs don’t make a right,
Especially when it ends in a deadly fight.
As no one truly wins when there is fighting,
Because love is achieved only through uniting.
At the eleventh hour, during a moment of silence,
We pray for an end to violence,
And for the men and women who lost their lives,
To ensure peace survives.
May they never be forgotten,
Our freedom which was begotten.
Today, delicate red flowers are revealed,
Marking those fallen on the battlefield,
So we may remember, each mid-November…
The day the poppies bloomed.
Written by our featured teen, Vienna Maryce
when she was 12.
Read more about this talented teen
on page 80