It's veterans day / remembrance day today in North America. It is customary to decorate oneself with red poppies and remember old soldiers.

But it's not enough. The In Flanders Fields poem is not merely a memorial. The last verse is a call to arms:

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
   The torch; be yours to hold it high.

The author knows that conflict continues - it is never done. We must remain strong and vigilant.

If the real consequences of pacifism weren't enough, McCrae concludes with a supernatural threat: haunting.

   If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
   In Flanders fields.

BOO!