A Christmas Poem
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, 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.