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."

 

sorry if it bothered you edwin......I have had this for a long time....I just ran across it the other day....its hid away in a notepad file....and to be honest..I didn't even think about the fact that it was in all caps....I was thinking more about what the message was....I just cut and pasted it....guess you will just have to live with this one...I am not going to edit it. I don't think the others here will mind that much.....and if they do...well they don't have to read it.

:{D peace guys.....its the holiday season....although we should be this way ALL year long....take a moment to consider others.....many MANY people out there don't have it near as well as we do....and to those out there in that situation...the holiday season is not a time of joy, its a time of reminding them of their shortcomings, their failures and their losses......Please, go out of your way to do something nice for someone....just BECAUSE.

:{D

 

Hello all. I've been following this site for sometime now and have, for the most part, enjoyed what I've read. This problem with the caps, however, has bothered me though. My grandfather served in the military as have my father, father-in-law, brother-in-law, husband, and many friends. If the use of caps is a signal of shouting then so be it for it's not the font size that is of importance here...it's the message of the poem. So, please sir, do not knock Nuke for his use of caps in something so important as our military personnel.
Thanks and have a peaceful holiday season everyone.

 

Man, after reading this, I got to thinking about joining the military (if college doesn't work out). The Marines should make this a short movie.

 

Jurrell, that is EXACTLY why I went into the Navy....as College just didn't turn out to be my "bag". ...... I did my homework and qualified for a specific area of training which had good job prospects in the outside world.....so basically I went into th military and attended a TRADE SCHOOL....then got about 4 1/2 yrs of On The Job Training.......the field I got into was in high demand when I was discharged....and have been at it ever since.

BTW....I loved my time in the military....and would do it all over again in a split second.

:{D