Making Poppies with Pa - Kristin Martin

for ANZAC Day and Remembrance Day

I traced the outline:
five
perfect
petals
on the shiny metal sheet.

Pa used the tin snips
snip
snip
snip
to carefully cut the shape.

Together we hammered the petals up
one
at
a
time.

Then I sprayed
a single puff of black
into the centre
of the flower.
pffff

Pa attached
the
long
wire
stem.

But when I carried our poppy
outside
and proudly placed it
in the new-turned dirt,
Pa began to cry.

He knelt down
so I could hug him tight,
then whispered through his tears,
“I hope you never truly know
what this means.”