knitting Paradise

I belong to a wonderful knitting and crochet group called

Knitting Paradise.

http://www.knittingparadise.com

I hope you will drop by and check us out. Shirley

Thursday, December 18, 2008

A SOLDIER'S CHRISTMAS - author unknown

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,
SILENT, ALONE, CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR,IN THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME.
THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE,THE ROOM IN DISORDER,
NOT HOW I PICTURED, AN AUSTRALIAN 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 ENJOY 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."----------------------


FROM THE COLD NIGHT'S CHILL.I DID NOT 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."----------------------------
Text Color
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 an Australian Peacekeeping soldier stationed
> > overseas. )

3 comments:

Mary in H. Va said...

As a recently retired USAF and a mother of another airman , who is overseas once again. I thank you. We chose this strange life of ours and we do it gladly but thank you. And from one quilter to another Merry Christmas!

Shirley said...

I received it from a friend, and
as my husband was with the Canadian
Army and served with the United
Nation's Peace Keeping force in
the Gaza Strip in the 60's, and as we were in the Army for 20 years, it really spoke to me. Our men are
in Afghanistan so I felt strongly about it when I read it. Thank you for the work you did and your son is doing to keep us all safe. You are right - it is a strange life in comparison to 'civy street' Shirley

Shirley said...
This comment has been removed by the author.