'Twas the Night Before Christmas (A Soldier's Story)
> Beautifully written and touching...worthy of passing along to others.
Please
> do.
>
> A SOLDIER'S CHRISTMAS:
>
> "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,
> AND ON THE WALL PICTURES
> OF FAR DISTANT LANDS.
>
> WITH MEDALS AND BADGES,
> AWARDS OF ALL KINDS,
> A SOBERING THOUGHT
> CAME TO MY MIND.
>
> FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT,
> SO DARK AND SO DREARY,
> THE HOME OF A SOLDIER,
> I COULD NOW SEE SO 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 DISORDER,
> NOT HOW I PICTURED
> A UNITED STATES SOLDIER.
>
> WAS THIS THE HERO
> OF WHOM I HAD JUST READ?
> CURLED UP ON A PONCHO,
> THE FLOOR FOR A BED?
>
> I REALIZED THE FAMILIES
> THAT I SAW THROUGH THIS NIGHT,
> OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS
> WHO WERE WILLING TO FIGHT.
>
> SOON ROUND THE WORLD,
> OUR CHILDREN WOULD PLAY,
> AND GROWN-UPS 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 DO LAY ALONE,
> ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE
> IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME.
>
> THE VERY SUCH THOUGHT
> BROUGHT A TEAR TO MY EYE,
> I DROPPED TO MY KNEES
> AND I STARTED TO CRY.
>
> THE SOLDIER AWAKENED
> AND I HEARD A ROUGH VOICE,
> "PLEASE SANTA, DON'T CRY,
> THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE;
>
> I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM,
> AND I DON'T ASK FOR MORE,
> MY LIFE IS MY GOD,
> MY COUNTRY, MY CORPS."
>
> THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER
> AND SOON DRIFTED TO SLEEP,
> I COULDN'T CONTROL IT,
> AND CONTINUED TO WEEP.
>
> I KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS,
> SO SILENT AND STILL,
> AND WE BOTH SHIVERED
> FROM THE COLD EVENING'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 IS SECURE."
>
> ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH,
> AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT.
> "MERRY CHRISTMAS, MY FRIEND,
> AND TO ALL A GOOD (AND SAFE) NIGHT."
>
> This poem was written by a U.S. Marine stationed in Okinawa, Japan. The
> following is his request, I think it is reasonable: "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/women
enabling
> you to celebrate these festivities with family."
>
> Let's try in some small way to pay tribute to what we owe them all. Please
> have
> people stop and think of our heroes, living and dead, who sacrificed
> themselves for our nation's freedom.
> Do your part to plant this small seed...Thank you.
>
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