A Soldier's Christmas Poem

My mom sent this to me and I just loved it so I had to post it! It came in perfect timing because I am baking cookies for my adopted soldier. :)

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.


GOD Bless Our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen This Christmas!!!

Adopt a US Soldier

On Wednesday I was just looking around online and I came across a link to the website for Adopt a Soldier http://www.adoptaussoldier.org/ If it was your blog that I got this from I'm really sorry I'm not giving you credit I just can't remember where I read it! Any who, I think this is such a great opportunity for people to get involved and support our troops especially those who aren't really sure how. I am a military wife but I know my husband will never be deployed to Iraq or really anywhere overseas. The only place he could go is Bahrain and I lived there while I was in high school. I know there is a difference between being a student in the middle east and being a part of the us military...but Bahrain is no Iraq and I'm well aware of this. So, while I will still go through deployments, PCSing, and other military life situations I know I'm one of the lucky ones. I can't imagine right now how it feels to have your spouse so far away for so long. I wanted to be able to show my appreciation for all the men and women all over the world who are standing up for our freedoms. I signed up and after the three days as promised I was given a soldiers information. My pen pal as I refer to him is my age and has a wife and two kids (my heart breaks for his family). Please checkout the website, sign up, and pass it along to anyone you think would be interested. It's amazing how a few kind words to turn someones day around.