Twas The Night Before christmas(please read)

[big-o]

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 MANTEL
JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND
ON WALL HUNG PICTURES
OF FAR DISTANCE LANDS

WITH MEDALS AND BADGES
AWARDS OF ALL KINDS
A SOBER THOUGHT
CAME THROUGHT MY MIND

FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT
IT WAS DARK AND DREARY
I FOUND A 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 AS A BED
I RELIZED THE FAMILYS
THAT I SAW THIS NIGHT
OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS
WHO ARE 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 LAYING 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 COUND'NT CONTROL IT
I CONTUINED 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
WHIPERED, "CARRY ON SANTA
IT'S CHRISTMASDAY, 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 peom was written by a SOLDIER stationed overseas
the following is his request. I think it is reasonable

PLEASE 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 Canadian service men and women for our being able to celebrate these festivities. Lets 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 themselfs for us. Please, do your small part to plant this seed


I had hard time fighting back tears when I read this....so this is My part ...GOD BLESS THE SOLDIERS FIGHTING FOR ME AND MY FAMILY
CANADIAN AND OUR U.S. NEIGHBOURS....MERRY CHRISTMAS AND THANKS

Phil(Big-O)

[Fishing Freak]

Thanks for sharing big-o

My thoughts and prayer's are with them all.

[Iceman]

sniff

That was touching , I will be glad to forward to as many friends as possible.

[Laketrout]

Will do Phil and will done!!
That sent a shiver through me.
Brought to mind my fathers last few months being in a veterans home with cancer eating him. For those Vets. that could function they would get them up in the mornin and push them out in there wheelchair into the hall and there they sat. Some, I was told never recieved any visitors.
I was thinking as I was walking past them in the hall how sad it was to see these once great fighting men sitting there, holding back the memories of the horror that they have seen while serving. There bodies might have given up on them but I bet if you asked them for help they would be there in a second if they could.

[Wall-I-Guy]

Good one Phil

Thanks again to all service personnel for sacrifices we can't imagine.

[Trout Machine]

Stuff we take for granted come with a price, Freedom is certainly one of them!

I will share that story Big-o, with other like me who don't have to pay, but appreciate what the Service man and women do for us!

[JP]

Thanks Phill.
Thank you to all our brothers abd sisters that are giving themselves for our freedoms.
Cheers and Merry Christmas to all those who serve.
God Bless
JP

[fishforfun]

Thanks Big O, lets not forget these brave men and women, while we enjoy the holidays with family.

[Mike the 'Tender]

I sent this out to all my friends and family, and one friend said he had read it before. Turns out, it was written by one Lance Corporal James M. Schmidt (Ret.) of the United States Marines. This poem was originally written in the magazine Leatherneck, the magazine of the Marine corps.

My friend showed me this website which explained the poem's origins: http://www.snopes.com/holidays/christmas/soldier.asp. This includes the original version of the poem. I thought you'd like to know.

Whatever the origins, the poem still serves its purpose of having us remember.

[big-o]

I recieved the poem in a E/mail this moring...written as i wrote it....I just retyped it....not adding anything or omitting anything.... never seeing or hearing it before i thought i would post it...i will put written by a soldier....not stating any country....but I'm glad to see it has hit home with a few members....thanks for the corrections

[skooter]

Do you think it will ever happen that "everyone" can be with their loved ones during the holidays?

"SEASONS GREETINGS" to all those who keep us safe

[fishforfun]

Big O I think it hit home with all who read it. Did you read the piece in the paper today about the wounded young newlywed American soldier who asked the docs to remove his finger so they wouldn't cut his wedding band? Something to think about.

[wolfe]

That was very moving. I would love if someone with some musical talent could put that to music. It could be a Christmas classic...

Thx for sharing that, Big-O.

W.