A Christmas poem

[Lucky13]

'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 IN IRAQ, 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 IS
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.

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 US service men and
women for our being
able to celebrate these
Festivities.
Let's try in this
small way to pay a tiny bit of what
we
Owe. Make people stop
and think of our heroes, living
and
dead, who sacrificed
Themselves for us. Please, do
your
small part to plant
this small
Seed.






copied from 4m.net