A Marine's 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,  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.

PLEASE
Would you do me the kind favor of sending LINK 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.