Nothing has ever stirred my soul quite like Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red, a temporary art installation by Paul Cummins and Tom Piper that surrounded the Tower of London in 2014.
I visited the Tower with my family in August, when less than half of its 10-hectare moat was filled with ceramic poppies. Three months later, on Remembrance Day, the work culminated with nearly 900,000 blooms overflow the moat. Each one commemorated a British or Commonwealth serviceman who died during the First World War, including nearly 66,000 Canadians and one of my great grandfathers.
My visit would have been emotional enough had I been there on my own. But with my wife and two young daughters at my side, Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red gave new meaning and perspective to the bravery of our fallen heroes. After all, the poppies represented the sacrifices of the past, but also hope for the future -- especially when they framed the face of a smiling child.
I visited the Tower with my family in August, when less than half of its 10-hectare moat was filled with ceramic poppies. Three months later, on Remembrance Day, the work culminated with nearly 900,000 blooms overflow the moat. Each one commemorated a British or Commonwealth serviceman who died during the First World War, including nearly 66,000 Canadians and one of my great grandfathers.
My visit would have been emotional enough had I been there on my own. But with my wife and two young daughters at my side, Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red gave new meaning and perspective to the bravery of our fallen heroes. After all, the poppies represented the sacrifices of the past, but also hope for the future -- especially when they framed the face of a smiling child.
