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.....


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 present from afar so far ahead.

merry Christmas to all in the Air Force-Army-USMC-Navy-Coast Guard, may god be with you and god speed!

Just Beautiful
I wish them all a safe return

I wish them all a safe return and also to get the hell out of there!!!

STOP THE WAR!!!

i am so proud of all of you! be safe thank all of you for protecting our UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!

Thank you for sharing this nice poem it was very touching

I wish them a safe return home and thank you for all that they have done for us.

HI Skipgirl
Thank u...My son is PVT.1ST CL Brett T.....USMC...

I have read this before...but it is much different now....

I always Honored all our Military......now i truely have my own....

This poem....confirms one of my worsed horrors....I am a mom of a USMC young man....

What I have always wanted for my son...love,safety,well rounded mentally healthy,for him to have faith in his dreams...run like hell towards them..regardless of others wants......I am mom....

He did just that.....I raised him to be a secure, and independent young man....at the same time....transition from kid to USMC, to seperating from child and parent,to young man to USMC.....is quite a ride....

My belief..my wants...for Christmas and always...is for all soldiers to be able to mentally come back to us healthy.....to be able to come back to us and enjoy our freedom here....the way we do it and are Blessed to have....because I believe we have it pretty darn good...perfection is out of the question....

This poem is amazing and I get the beauty of the point and the choose.... I just want my son to feel the same way...but in a warm bed....

One day my son will go to Iraq or any were our soldiers r sent....I can only imagine what that will be like for especially the new and the young....imagine..maybe...but as a woman who has been on this earth for quite sometime and intelligent and knowlegdable......I believe I can go beyond imagining...

My son doesn't feel what I feel yet....fear...scared...I see the reality for him in his Beautiful Brown Eyes....As a USMC...that is all I will see.....and I can see thru them...I am mom.....

The name fits him well...at bootcamp...the SGT called him Puppy Face.....thats the look I see...the emotions are for sure different...I know my son...

My other Christmas gift has been granted...My Son will be home for Christmas and New Years.....

I pray for happieness for all ......the happiness I will have during the Holidays......I want to share my happiness...so I send my happiness to everyone especially our soldiers and their families...

To all the woderful people here...especially all the military serving now or who have..for all ur support to me and my family...

Semper..p.s. u will be hearing from me..lol



Now I may lay me down to sleep....

Goodnight and SemperFI
Zanne

I too have seen this poem it has been around for a long time and it still bring a lump to my throat. I am a Vet and I have spent a few Christmas's away from loved ones. With each and every day I pray for the Safe and quick return of our troops.

Zanne I am so glad you got your Christmas wish make this one a special one because you never know he maybe deployed on the next one. GOD BLESS AND GODSPEED to all of our troops!

thank u Jimd...

I hope our visit will be better...he's changed....we need to get to know each other aagain...I can't seem to get ur point across to him..

so..patient I will be....regardless..I am happy he will be home....

Salute to u also....

Have a great wkend

Z