On Memorial Day, a Remembrance of the Fallen

In poems and stories, and in our hearts, we honor soldiers from time immemorial

Brittany Jacobs (L) of Hertford, North Carolina, and her son, Christian Jacobs, 6, are embraced by a friend while sitting next to the grave of Brittany's husband, U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Chris Jacobs, in Section 60 at Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day May 29, 2017 in Arlington, Virginia. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

The seed of a poppy can lie dormant in the ground for 80 years and sometimes more, it has been said. And so, it waits. Fast asleep, in the cool darkness. 

Like a princess roused from enchanted sleep by the kiss of a prince, once disturbed, the seed will come to light and awaken.