Blood Swept Land And Seas Of Red

The Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red
By an Unknown Soldier

The blood swept lands and seas of red,
Where angels dare to tread.
As I put my hand to reach,
As God cried a tear of pain as the angels fell,
Again and again.

As the tears of mine fell to the ground
To sleep with the flowers of red
As any be dead

My children see and work through fields of my
Own with corn and wheat,
Blessed by love so far from pain of my resting
Fields so far from my love.

It be time to put my hand up and end this pain
Of living hell, to see the people around me
Fall someone angel as the mist falls around
And the rain so thick with black thunder I hear
Over the clouds, to sleep forever and kiss
The flower of my people gone before time
To sleep and cry no more

I put my hand up and see the land of red,
This is my time to go over,
I may not come back
So sleep, kiss the boys for me

How do you write about such a breathtaking, moving and humbling sight? Where do you even start? How do you capture such beauty and the emotions that it leaves within you? When you arrive at the Tower of London these days, you will be overwhelmed by an undulating sea of red. Ceramic poppies flowing through the green grass and gradually drowning the ground below in crimson. The sight will take your breath away, and you will feel shivers down your spine, when you see a wave of red sweeping across the causeway, and flowing through the Tower's window, spilling across the land. You will not be able to help your eyes watering over the realisation that each of the poppies is a symbol of one life lost during the horrifying  war. The First World War that claimed almost 900,000 British lives. The sea of red that crashes against the Tower's walls is like the sea of blood of those who fought for our future.

Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red, named after a poem written by an unknown soldier, is an evolving artistic installation in the Tower ’s dry moat. It was created by ceramic artist Paul Cummins and stage designer Tom Piper to commemorate the hundred years since the outbreak of the Great War. It will continue to grow until the moat is filled with 888,246 ceramic poppies. The last poppy will be planted on Armistice Day, 11 November 2014. Until then every evening, at sunset, names of a few chosen soldiers who were killed in the War are read from The Roll of Honour. The poignant ceremony is then concluded by The Last Post call played by a military bugler.

What a beautiful, heart-warming and dignified way to honour those who lost their lives so that we can live on. How can we ever pay back this unimaginable debt? It is impossible. All we can do is our best and live to give back what we have been given. A chance to have a fulfilling life.  It is the least we can do comparing to what those who died did for us. Let's never forget that.

I will always remember the inscription on the war memorial outside the Teddington Memorial Hospital. I might not have been born and bred in England, but it is my home now. It is deep in my heart, and I want to keep it that way. For me and those who live here with me.

Live Ye For England, We For England Died

Remember Us, We Died For You
Red Dawn

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  1. A beautifully sensitive portrayal of a stunning and moving installation. I defy anyone who sees it not to be emotionally affected. I will definitely return and spend more time there.

    1. Thank you very much, Valda for your kind words. It is such an emotive sight, and so hard to express how you feel about it. In words or images. You definitely did it justice through your interpretation. I really hope you will go back there. I can’t wait to see more of your beautiful images.

  2. You have done a brilliant job of capturing the essence of the display and also expressed very beautifully the horrors of war and the incredible sacrifice of so many all those years ago. I’m afraid I ducked out of even trying in my recent blog – it felt a bit shallow as our visit to the Tower was so fleeting due to time running out. If I get a chance it would be nice to go back and take it all in properly and also to go in… Super blog, Vanda! BW, Lizzie

    1. Thank you so much, Lizzie for your kind words. It is definitely not easy to write about this subject. I hope you will manage to get back to London and spend more time there. The place deserves that time. Take care.

    1. Hi Cheryl. Thank you very much. It is hard to use any words, or pictures. You have to experience it. And I really hope you will get a chance to.

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