'Twas the night before Christmas....

[bassboy1]

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,

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'

 

[BassAddict]

Good Twas the night before christmas rendition, did ya find it or write it

 

[little anth]

wow thats good

 

[bassboy1]

Good Twas the night before christmas rendition, did ya find it or write it

Found it. I can't even write free verse poetry.
I should have included the rest of the message, but somehow forgot. It is what really makes the story better.
Here it is.

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 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

 

[Jim]

That was awesome!

 

[ACarbone624]

That was great!

 

[redbug]

i think about our men and women over seas every day, my wife is in a unit that is out of willow grove joint reserve base, that is in the process of shutting down in the last 3 months she has signed transfers for close to 100 soldiers that will be heading to Iraq
God bless and keep safe

Wayne