Christmas Poem > > > >    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 AND 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 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 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.