Night Before Christmas 2001

[Guest guest]

Night Before Christmas 2001

>

> '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, NOW 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 SOON 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 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 NIGHT. "

>

>

> A Marine stationed in Okinawa Japan wrote this poem. 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. servicemen 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.