Military Xmas > TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS, HE LIVED ALL ALONE, > IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE MADE OF PLASTER AND STONE. > I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE, > AND TO SEE JUST WHO IN THIS HOME DID LIVE. > > I LOOKED ALL ABOUT, A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE, > NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS, NOT EVEN A TREE. > > NO STOCKING BY MANTLE, JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND, > ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES OF FAR DISTANT LANDS. > > WITH MEDALS AND BADGES, AWARDS OF ALL KINDS, > A SOBER THOUGHT CAME THROUGH MY MIND. > > FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT, IT WAS DARK AND DREARY, > I FOUND THE HOME OF A SOLDIER, ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY. > > THE SOLDIER LAY SLEEPING, SILENT, ALONE, > CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR IN THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME. > > THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE, THE ROOM IN SUCH DISORDER, > NOT HOW I PICTURED A UNITED STATES SOLDIER. > > WAS THIS THE HERO OF WHOM I'D JUST READ? > CURLED UP ON A PONCHO, THE FLOOR FOR A BED? > > I REALIZED THE FAMILIES THAT I SAW THIS NIGHT, > OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS WHO WERE WILLING TO FIGHT. > > SOON ROUND THE WORLD, THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY, > AND GROWNUPS WOULD CELEBRATE A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY. > > THEY ALL ENJOYED FREEDOM EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR, > BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS, LIKE THE ONE LYING HERE. > > I COULDN'T HELP WONDER HOW MANY LAY ALONE, > ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME. > > THE VERY THOUGHT BROUGHT A TEAR TO MY EYE, > I DROPPED TO MY KNEES AND STARTED TO CRY. > THE SOLDIER AWAKENED AND I HEARD A ROUGH VOICE, > "SANTA DON'T CRY, THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE; > I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM, I DON'T ASK FOR MORE, > MY LIFE IS MY GOD, MY COUNTRY, MY CORPS." > > THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER AND DRIFTED TO SLEEP, > I COULDN'T CONTROL IT, I CONTINUED TO WEEP. > > I KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS, SO SILENT AND STILL > AND WE BOTH SHIVERED FROM THE COLD NIGHT'S CHILL. > > I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE ON THAT COLD, DARK, NIGHT, > THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOR SO WILLING TO FIGHT. > > THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER, WITH A VOICE SOFT AND PURE, > WHISPERED, "CARRY ON SANTA, IT'S CHRISTMAS DAY, ALL's SECURE." > > ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH, AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT. > "MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND, AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT." > > This poem was written by a Marine stationed in Okinawa Japan. > > ***PLEASE. Would you do me the kind favor of sending this to as many > people as you can? Christmas will be coming soon and some credit is > due to > our U.S. service men and women. Without them we may not have the > freedom > to celebrate such festivities. Let's try in this small way to pay a > tiny > bit of what we owe, and it doesn't cost a thing! Let's make people > aware; > make them stop and think of our heroes, living and dead, who > sacrificed > themselves for us. Help to plant the seed! Blessed holidays! > ------------- For more information, please link to www.opengamingfoundation.org
