Darkknight2010
Knight searching...
- Joined
- Mar 28, 2004
- Posts
- 6,360
I've had this for about 8 years now and try to circulate it at this time of the year. The piece is almost like an urban legend in that the origin for it changes... some say it's from a Canadian solider, others say it's from a Marine in Okinawa. Either way the sentiment is quite true.
T'WAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS,
>HE LIVED ALL ALONE, I N 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 THE 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
>CANADIAN 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 FOR 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."
T'WAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS,
>HE LIVED ALL ALONE, I N 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 THE 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
>CANADIAN 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 FOR 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."
