Why the poppy?
I’ve been asked this question by some of those who’ve seen the draft copies of my new book’s cover and want to take the time to explain why I chose this particular flower.
The simple truth is the image of a child holding a poppy blossom with an apocalyptic urban landscape behind him popped into my head one morning as I was thinking about what I wanted the cover to portray. Only after I began to think about the traditional symbolism behind the flower did I realize how serendipitous this bit of inspiration was.
The poppy on the cover of Poems from the Edge of the Apocalypse serves as a kind of warning and a requiem. Traditionally, the flower is a symbol of remembrance and the sleep of death but now it blooms on the threshold of a novel epoch. We’re on the cusp of an age where artificial general intelligence threatens to completely unravel, radically redefine, or thoughtfully preserve the essence of humanity.
As we teeter on the edge of a post-human world, the poppy becomes a symbol of all we risk forgetting: the beauty in fragility, the weight of existence, the poetry of being human. In an era racing toward machine consciousness, it stands as a reminder of our soft, volatile, and often fallible souls—of which may soon be overshadowed. As the lines begin to blur between the organic and the artificial the poppy is a gentle reminder of the importance of holding on to what makes us human.
On another note—
To celebrate launch day (announcement coming soon), I’ll be offering a limited run of 20 autographed copies of Poems from the Edge of the Apocalypse. Each book will come with a bonus poppy pin—(pictured above) a small emblem of remembrance, fragility, and resistance.
U.S. Domestic shipping is included.
If you're ordering from outside the U.S., an additional shipping fee will apply.
Stay tuned for the release date—these will go quickly.
Launch Team Deadline Approaching! (Friday, April 25th)
I'll be taking volunteers for the book's launch team for a couple more days.
A heartfelt thank you to all of you who've already signed up!
If you're interested just send me an email to - [email protected] with the subject line "Launch Team". In a few weeks I'll send you a PDF of the book to read and to write an Amazon review. These early book reviews are absolutely vital to a self-published book's success.
The release date will be announced very soon!
Be well, make the most of this day. Thank you for reading!
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As I know, it is the symbol of sorrow and stillness.
That makes a lot of sense. I never really knew the significance of the poppy before, but someone wrote a post about it a while ago and talked about the fields in France I think it was. It definitely makes you think!
It's been cultivated for a very long time (probably because of the narcotic aspect)!
Notice that from the first moment I saw this image of the child with the flower, I remembered a song by an Argentine singer called Fito Paez that says something like “all is not lost, I come to offer my heart. That flower represents beauty, hope, but also courage. There will always be someone to show us the kind side, the less dark side, the one that encourages us, in the middle of chaos. Even in the most unexpected places hope can be born, there can be someone who invites us not to faint. The 25th is Friday, so that's this week. Best wishes, my friend. I embrace you
That's interesting about the Argentine singer! I'll have to look him up. I think with any immense transitionary period the age of AI has the potential of being very good or very bad for us and how it ends up is dependent upon our attitudes going into it. AI and humanoid robots should be hitting the mainstream in 2026. Thank you my friend! Best wishes to you for a wonderful weekend!
Personally, when I read a book, write a piece of writing, listen to a song or watch a movie, I always try to look for the message it brings me or the teaching it leaves me with.
This cover catches my attention because the child with the poppy transmits me hope, nobility and hope.
Now that I know what the background image means, I reaffirm even more what I think about this image, beyond the meaning of the poppy and respecting the author's criteria.
Happy day.
Cheers and greetings.
That's such a great way to live, to look for the lessons. Once you begin to live your life from that perspective it's as though a door opens up. Have you read the book, The Secret? It's an older what but such a good one on serendipity and how the universe works in conjunction with us.
Thanks for your comment! Cheers to you!
“In an era that is rapidly advancing towards machine consciousness” this sentence struck me because it seemed that this imminent reality would not arrive so soon, but the advances in AI prove it.
The image on the cover of your new book "Poems from the Edge of the Apocalypse" of the boy with the poppy really awakens the curiosity to know a version that brings us closer to the human (I think).
I was reading about the Poppy flower and it was surprising to know that they are the first to be born in the devastation and represent the hope of renewal.
I wish you the best of success in your new book @ericvancewalton
There are those who believe "machine consciousness" has already been achieved. I'm not sure how true it is though. Most experts say in interviews that we're 6-10 years from that. I really like the hope/renewal aspect of the flower. I feel like nothing will be the same for us after this new wave of tech is integrated into our culture. There's no doubt we'll romanticize those pre-AI days but, hopefully, the tech will add to our lives more than it takes away or makes obsolete. Thank you!
There is so much wisdom in your thinking. I come to appreciate your line of thought for choosing the poppy
Thank you!
best of luck for your upcoming launch.
I appreciate it, @tahirmuneer!
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We are missing memoir Monday, it had become a routine to post every week. It is absolutely true that there is a story inside every picture. If we are all understanding, we will definitely understand it. Here too, we are seeing a much more interesting story of this flower and the child. And only those who learn from stories are successful.
#hive #posh