Somebody posted this in a myspace bulletin and I wanted to share it with you guys.
HE LIVED ALL ALONE
'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 COULD LIVE.
I LOOKED ALL ABOUT,
A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE.
NO TINSEL,NO PRESENTS,
NOT EVEN A TREE.
NO STOCKING ON THE MANTLE,
JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND.
ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES,
OF FAR DISTANT LANDS.
WITH MEDALS AND BADGES,
AND AWARDS OF ALL KINDS,
A SOBERING THOUGHT CAME,
THROUGH TO 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, AND 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 THAT THE FAMILIES,
I SAW ON THIS NIGHT,
OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS
WHO WERE WILLING TO FIGHT.
SOON 'ROUND THE WORLD,
THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY,
AND GROWN-UPS 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 ALL 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,
"PLEASE SANTA, DON'T CRY,
THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE.
I FIGHT FOR YOUR 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 NIGHT'S COLD CHILL.
I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE,
ON THAT COLD AND 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. 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 stationed in Okinawa, Japan. The
following is his request.
I think it is reasonable:
"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."
HE LIVED ALL ALONE
'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 COULD LIVE.
I LOOKED ALL ABOUT,
A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE.
NO TINSEL,NO PRESENTS,
NOT EVEN A TREE.
NO STOCKING ON THE MANTLE,
JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND.
ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES,
OF FAR DISTANT LANDS.
WITH MEDALS AND BADGES,
AND AWARDS OF ALL KINDS,
A SOBERING THOUGHT CAME,
THROUGH TO 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, AND 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 THAT THE FAMILIES,
I SAW ON THIS NIGHT,
OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS
WHO WERE WILLING TO FIGHT.
SOON 'ROUND THE WORLD,
THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY,
AND GROWN-UPS 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 ALL 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,
"PLEASE SANTA, DON'T CRY,
THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE.
I FIGHT FOR YOUR 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 NIGHT'S COLD CHILL.
I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE,
ON THAT COLD AND 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. 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 stationed in Okinawa, Japan. The
following is his request.
I think it is reasonable:
"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."
