AlamoPA Mailing List: Fw: A CHRISTMAS POEM

[Sallie Carlson (wacsc11945]

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Lois Anderson <glois [at] verizon.net>
To: 'Lori Beck' <loribeck15 [at] icloud.com>; 'Linda Brink' <lindasjuice [at] aol.com>; 'Beverly Hogan' <BevHogan2 [at] gmail.com>; Bill Curnes <bdcurnes33 [at] gmail.com>; 'Sallie Carlson' <wacsc11945 [at] yahoo.com>; 'Judy Pariseau' <camiolady [at] gmail.com>; 'Judy Lindstrom' <judithsli [at] yahoo.com>; JayhawkCA [at] aol.com; 'Larry Scott' <LScott34 [at] roadrunner.com>
Sent: Friday, December 8, 2017 7:44 PM
Subject: FW: A CHRISTMAS POEM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     REMEMBER!

  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. 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.

 

May God Bless You and Have A Great Day!