Poem: In Flanders Field

The poem, "In Flanders Field" was written by John McCrae, who a Canadian physician Major John McCrae, who participated in the First World War. The major, who survived the Second Battle of Ypres in the Flanders region of Belgium (1915). After witnessing the death of his comrades and friend, Alexis Helmer, he began the poem by describing the poppies that quickly grew around the grave (crosses) of those who died.

The poem is about the tragedy caused by the battle and also war. The only things that are left in the field of the battle are the guns, which were used by the soldiers. The songs of the larks in the sky are only heard by the guns on earth. What could be the representation of the the larks in the sky against the guns on earth? The birds of the heaven sing the song and just as the dove represents peace, perhaps these larks were singing their message of peace, however, its songs were not heard because of the loud noises created by the guns. Likewise it is the will of the heaven and the Creator to see peace on the earth that he created. However, the efforts of the Creator and the will of heaven was only covered in the past history of the mankind with wars and conflicts. No messages of peace were heard and even if it did, it was not heard clearly and disappeared quickly. However, the world seems to change its attention towards Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL), an organization that is working towards peace so that the will of the heaven may be heard.

The men who fought in the battle were alive and each had family and friends, who they loved and who loved them back. However, they all lie together. It does not matter which side they belong. The numbers of the casualties only matter to decide the result of the war. However, they all return back to the earth as dust together. It does not change the fact for the both sides that the war took them away from their loved ones. I am not sure what the author meant, when he says "The torch; be yours to hold it high", however I hope that this bond and the faith created between those who are dead and those who are alive will serve a legacy that goes toward harmony. I hope that the torch is not a representation of destruction, but a symbol of harmony and goodwill as it is in the Olympic Games. The torch is carried throughout the world and is delivered to the location, where the games are hosted. Just as this, I hope that the torch marks the beginning of unity so that the souls of those who died in every war including the Second Battle of Ypres in the Flanders Field are able to rest and sleep peacefully.

In Flanders Field

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

Poem: We will meet as water

We will meet as water
- Kang Eun Kyo

If we meet as water,
Which house will dislike it?
If we flow like the rain
Next to the tall tree,

And flow towards
The lonely deepening river at dawn
And lie to wash the root of a dead tree
To touch the embarrassed sea that is still a virgin

However, we, right now
Try to meet as fire
Already a bone that became a coal
Is touching the burning things of the world

You, who are waiting outside of 4000km,
let meet as flowing water after this fire

Talk like the dying fire,
And when you come,
Come to the large, clean sky,
Where visits of human stopped

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When I read this poem, I noticed that this is a poem of hope. The author hopes for a new world, an ideal world that currently does not exist. It wishes to meet others as water rather than fire. Fire is an element that represents conflict and war. It represents the  weapon that we use for war. Currently, we only try to meet as fire. We only try to use physical or political force to resolve conflict. However the author wishes to meet as water to build a virgin sea. Virginity represents purity and originality. We must return to our original state, where no conflict existed. I do not image that conflict existed in the very beginning of our world, but I think people slowly became corrupted.

The author ends the poem with a remark to meet at the large, clean sky. There is no boundary in the sky. This is why HWPL works towards building heavenly culture as it provides the earth with rain, light, and air without cost and discrimination. I hope that through the peace movement with HWPL and Chairman Man Hee Lee, we will give up fire and eventually meet as water to create one big river that flows in one direction.