38. Don't be alone

Flanders Fields is a term that is know to most because of the famous poem. The poem is ‘In Flanders Fields, written by John McCrae in 1915. It refers to the Belgium provinces of Weast and East Flanders. But it has  become a symbol of sacrifice and destruction and lost souls.

Colonel McCrae was a surgeon serving during the Battle of Ypres. The day before he wrote the poem his friend died after being hit by an artillery shell. I quote this beautiful poem, 'In Flanders Fields, the poppies blow. Between the crosses, row on row.’ and then the words,

‘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.’ – my god that’s so sad it makes you cry. I wish I had written that. The last line is dramatic, ‘If we break with us, who die. We shall not sleep, though poppies grow’

The Battle of Ypres ( all three of them) was brutal, surrounded by the enemy on three sides.The solders lived and died in waterlogged trenches, surrounded by rats and snipers. At least 500,00 solders from all nations died here from 1914-1918. The War Grave Commission maintains 130,000 graves in the area, leaving tens of thousands with no grave and forgotten about. There are 150 cemeteries for British, Canadian, Belgians and German men. Its one of the most blood-soaked area of land anywhere in the world.

A famous battlefield, a famous poem and symbol, it's now a place of pilgrimage. The site attracts 2m visitors every year  as well as local museums and The Last Post Ceremony, which takes place every evening. Pilgrims, school groups, tourists and veterans all visit. In total 85m people died in the first and second world wars. Subsequently 70 m people have dies in 300 armed conflicts since 1945 ( e.g. Korea, Vietnam.Congo.Sudan). That’s 155m lost souls !

This is a song about long lost love and the desperation one person feels, thirty years later. Its beyond sadness. I know its risky but I used the Flanders Fields symbol to try and fully express this mans feeling of loss. Hopefully it's been a wise choice. The song starts, ‘Alone. Like the dead in Flanders Fields.  A cause no one remembers, or pleads. For you, my love the years have passed, since you desired another in place of me. Alone on my own, it’s always been, part of my legacy, the end of a dream.’ For me the two key points are that she desired another , but she is still part of his dreams, all these years later. I guess people are still visiting their dead relatives in the grave at Flanders Fields.

His desperation is almost too much to bear when he sings, ‘ Thirty years wasted, easy to say. No way back. I cried every day. I want to die alone. So, my body is not found for days, so saying good bye is delayed.’

I guess some would say he should have moved on years ago and others might think that he was truly in love with this women and still is 30 years later. So much so that he can't even

bring himself to say goodbye and wants to die alone, with nether his love around or for that matter anyone else. Now that is sad. In fact, it's worse than that as he says,’ My physical end, brings relief’. My god !

He then just keeps repeating over and over again ‘Alone. Like the dead in Flanders Fields. For a cause that no one remembers, or pleads.’ It's chilling to think that he misses her so much after 30 years but also knows that no one else even remembers their relationship, all that time ago. Just like some people forget about wars , the war dead and the reason they were fighting in the first place. He must have led a very lonely existence.