KennyKenCan
Commander
- Joined
- Aug 26, 2002
- Messages
- 2,501
TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS, <br />HE LIVED ALL ALONE, <br />IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE MADE OF <br />PLASTER AND STONE. <br /><br />I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY <br />WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE, <br />AND TO SEE JUST WHO <br />IN THIS HOME DID LIVE. <br /><br />I LOOKED ALL ABOUT, <br />A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE, <br />NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS, <br />NOT EVEN A TREE. <br /><br />NO STOCKING BY MANTLE, <br />JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND, <br />ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES <br />OF FAR DISTANT LANDS. <br /><br />WITH MEDALS AND BADGES, <br />AWARDS OF ALL KINDS, <br />A SOBER THOUGHT <br />CAME THROUGH MY MIND. <br /><br />FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT, <br />IT WAS DARK AND DREARY, <br />I FOUND THE HOME OF A SOLDIER, <br />ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY. <br /><br />THE SOLDIER LAY SLEEPING, <br />SILENT, ALONE, <br />CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR <br />IN THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME. <br /><br />THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE, <br />THE ROOM IN SUCH DISORDER, <br />NOT HOW I PICTURED <br />A UNITED STATES SOLDIER. <br /><br />WAS THIS THE HERO <br />OF WHOM I'D JUST READ? <br />CURLED UP ON A PONCHO, <br />THE FLOOR FOR A BED? <br /><br />I REALIZED THE FAMILIES <br />THAT I SAW THIS NIGHT, <br />OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS <br />WHO WERE WILLING TO FIGHT. <br /><br />SOON ROUND THE WORLD, <br />THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY, <br />AND GROWNUPS WOULD CELEBRATE <br />A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY. <br /><br />THEY ALL ENJOYED FREEDOM <br />EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR, <br />BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS, <br />LIKE THE ONE LYING HERE. <br /><br />I COULDN'T HELP WONDER <br />HOW MANY LAY ALONE, <br />ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE <br />IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME. <br /><br />THE VERY THOUGHT <br />BROUGHT A TEAR TO MY EYE, <br />I DROPPED TO MY KNEES <br />AND STARTED TO CRY. <br /><br />THE SOLDIER AWAKENED <br />AND I HEARD A ROUGH VOICE, <br />"SANTA DON'T CRY, <br />THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE; <br /><br />I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM, <br />I DON'T ASK FOR MORE, <br />MY LIFE IS MY GOD, <br />MY COUNTRY, MY CORPS." <br /><br />THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER <br />AND DRIFTED TO SLEEP, <br />I COULDN'T CONTROL IT, <br />I CONTINUED TO WEEP. <br /><br />I KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS, <br />SO SILENT AND STILL <br />AND WE BOTH SHIVERED <br />FROM THE COLD NIGHT'S CHILL. <br /><br />I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE <br />ON THAT COLD, DARK, NIGHT, <br />THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOR <br />SO WILLING TO FIGHT. <br /><br />THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER, <br />WITH A VOICE SOFT AND PURE, <br />WHISPERED, "CARRY ON SANTA, <br />IT'S CHRISTMAS DAY, ALL IS SECURE." <br /><br />ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH, <br />AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT. <br />"MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND, <br />AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT." <br /><br />This poem was written by a Marine stationed in <br />Okinawa Japan.
