-----Original Message----- Subject: Night before Christmas >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. >"MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND, >AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT." > >This poem was written by a Marine stationed in Okinawa Japan. 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 U.S. >service men and women for our being able to celebrate these festivities. > >Let's 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 themselves for >us. Please, do your small part to plant this small seed. _______ To unsubscribe, send "unsubscribe rangernet" to [EMAIL PROTECTED] "Eat the hay & spit out the sticks! - A#1's mule" RTKB&G4JC! http://rangernet.org Autoresponder: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
