We will remember them! Exactly a month from now, this is the phrase the whole UK will have on the top of their tongues. It will be the Remembrance Day, the 11th of November.
Brits proudly place a paper, knitted or any other form of a red poppy on their chest to commemorate the end of the World War I and those who died in wars. A two-minute silence is held at 11am, but many extend their silence beyond these few seconds by staying quiet also when they see an installation of ceramic poppies, the ones which first flooded the Tower of London in November 2014.
The Weeping Window, a curtain-shaped installation of handmade poppy flowers, has since travelled across the UK and is now, four years later, back in London. The Imperial War Museum is a glorious venue to end a tour which took the poppies to the most beautiful corners of the UK, varying from Belfast to Bristol.
In November, I will purchase my poppy to have my grandad closer to my heart.
The IWM dedicated an entire floor to the world war. They remember them by capturing posters, photographs and voices of those affected by the war. There is also a room where one can silently send their thoughts to those who had to fall, so we can live the lives we have today. Another room, ‘The Poppies: Reflection’ is dedicated to the countless selfies taken with the poppies, artfully captured by the cameras of Ellie Kurttz and Gideon Mendel.
War is a subject I would avoid and ignore altogether if I could. Being brought up in a post-communist country, however, that is not the case. There are still, even today, some remarks which remind me every day, that what happened in the past shaped the future we are living in now. My grandad was a victim of the horrible consequences the second world war had on my country. And thus, even though I am far from being British, in November, I will purchase my poppy and wear it proudly on my chest – not to show others, that I care, but to have my grandad closer to my heart and to think of him even more, when the whole Britain goes radio-silent on 11/11 at 11am.
Please, try to keep your mouth shut on the 11th October at 11am.
Thank you, volunteers, for planting these beauties and sharing love across the UK. Whether you have someone close, who can talk to you about war, or whether you only imagine a war story through the old photographs your parents might have shown you, invest a moment and help the Royal British Region by purchasing your poppy. And regardless of where you are or what you do, please, try to keep your mouth shut on the 11th October at 11am (GMT) and just remember them.
