December 25, 2002

• A United States Marine`s Christmas Poem

  
  

   

  
  

   

  
  

  T`WAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS,

  
  

  HE LIVED ALLALONE,

  
  

  IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE

  
  

  MADE OF PLASTER AND STONE.

  
  

   

  
  

  I HADCOME DOWN THE CHIMNEY

  
  

  WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE,

  
  

  AND TO SEE JUST WHO

  
  

  IN THIS HOME DID LIVE.

  
  

   

  
  

  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 THISHOUSE WAS DIFFERENT,

  
  

  IT WAS DARK AND DREARY,

  
  

  I FOUND THE HOME OF A MARINE,

  
  

  ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY.

  
  

   

  
  

  THE MARINE 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 MARINE.

  
  

   

  
  

  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 MARINES

  
  

  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 MARINES,

  
  

  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 MARINE 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 MARINE ROLLED OVER

  
  

  AND SOON 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 COLDNIGHT`S CHILL.

  
  

   

  
  

  I DIDN`T WANTTO LEAVE

  
  

  ON THAT COLD, DARK, NIGHT,

  
  

  THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOR

  
  

  SO WILLING TO FIGHT.

  
  

   

  
  

  THEN THE MARINE 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,

  
  

  SEMPER FI, AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT."

  • 1:22 pm
  • 1 Comment