A Soldier's Poem

A very good friend of mine, an ex Marine, sent me the following item. Sums it up rather nicely, I thought.

One month to go, so here's an early Xmas mail ..................................

T'WAS 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 BRITISH 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 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 HONOUR, SO WILLING TO FIGHT. THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER, WITH A VOICE SOFT AND PURE WHISPERED, "CARRY ON SANTA, ITS 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 British Peacekeeping soldier stationed "Overseas".

The following is his request. I think it is reasonable.

Alex ................

"PLEASE. Would you do me the kind favour of sending this to as many people as you can.
Christmas will be coming soon and some credit is due to all of the Servicemen 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 lads, living and dead, who sacrificed themselves for us. Please, do your small part to plant this small seed."

Happy Chrimbo

This poem was written by a British Peacekeeping soldier stationed "Overseas".

GREAT POEM!!!

Just a quick correction..

According to "Snopes.com"

Snopes

It was written by LCpl. James M. Schmidt, A Marine stationed in Washington DC. He wrote it in 1986...

Semper

Of course you're right semperfortis.

I suspect that any nationality of soldier, sailor or airman will claim this outstanding work for his or her own.

I won't quibble - its the message the poem portrays - universal, is all.

"I heard him exclaim, 'er he drove out of sight, "Happy Christmas to All, and to all a good night."

This is what their sacrifice is all about...our safety.

Let's take a moment out of our busy holiday schedules, our frantic hustle and bustle, and remember our neighbors and freinds, family who may be overseas, somewhere.

I have seen like 40 different versions of this. I think the message is universal, and it works well for all branches and nations that wish to use it to show support for the troops around Christmas time.

Heres another one for you....

A Different Christmas Poem

The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,
I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.

Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
Transforming the yard to a winter delight.
The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,
Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.
My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.
In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,
So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.

The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near,
But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.
Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know, Then the
sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.
My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
And I crept to the door just to see who was near.
Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.

A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,
Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.
Alone in the dark, he looked up and s miled,
Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.
"What are you doing?" I asked without fear,
"Come in this moment, it's freezing out here!
Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,
You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!"

For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,
Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts..
To the window that danced with a warm fire's light
Then he sighed and he said "Its really all right,
I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night."

"It's my duty to stand at the front of the line,
That separates you from the darkest of times.
No one had to ask or beg or implore me,
I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.
My Gramps died at ' Pearl on a day in December,"
Then he sighed, "That's a Christmas 'Gram always remembers.
"My dad stood his watch in the jungles of ' Nam ',
And now it is my turn and so, here I am.
I've not seen my own son in more than a while,
But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile.

Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,
The red, white, and blue... an American fl ag .
I can live through the cold and the being alone,
Away from my family, my house and my home.
I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.
I can carry the weight of killing another,
Or lay down my life with my sister and brother..

Who stand at the front against any and all,
To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall."
"So go back inside," he said, "harbor no fright,
Your family is waiting and I'll be all right."
" But isn't there something I can do, at the least,
"Give you money," I asked, "or prepare you a feast?
It seems all too little for all that you've done,
For being away from your wife and your son.

"Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
"Just tell us you love us, and never forget.
To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone,
To stand your own watch, no matter how long.
For when we come home, either standing or dead,
To know you remember we fought and we bled.
Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,
That we mattered to you as you mattered to us."

PLEASE, Would you d o 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.

Excellent reminders Fritz and Chiyanne. Thanks for sharing these wonderful poems with us.

Flag for the thread and stars for both of you.

Two times in my life, around 11PM, I heard jingling bells and foot stomps on the roof of my parent's house. My room used to be next to the chimney, so this makes a little sense. I don't live there anymore, but when I heard those noises, I already was old enough to know santa is not real. I also could of sworn I saw a red light too. But my memory is getting old so that may not be true.


I still up to today don't know what to think of those noises, but they sure did sound alot like what santa and his raindeer were supposed to know.

Two times in my life, around 11PM, I heard jingling bells and foot stomps on the roof of my parent's house. My room used to be next to the chimney, so this makes a little sense. I don't live there anymore, but when I heard those noises, I already was old enough to know santa is not real. I also could of sworn I saw a red light too. But my memory is getting old so that may not be true.


I still up to today don't know what to think of those noises, but they sure did sound alot like what santa and his raindeer were supposed to sound like.

Two times in my life, around 11PM, I heard jingling bells and foot stomps on the roof of my parent's house. My room used to be next to the chimney, so this makes a little sense. I don't live there anymore, but when I heard those noises, I already was old enough to know santa is not real. I also could of sworn I saw a red light too. But my memory is getting old so that may not be true.


I still up to today don't know what to think of those noises, but they sure did sound alot like what santa and his raindeer were supposed to sound.

Inspiring stuff.
Thanks for posting these two poems you guys.
Here in Britain we don't stop and think, and thank soldiers for their sevice.
It;s a shame.