Thought for all soldiers...

[Comp]

We are all from many different countries; however, we all have one thing in common and that is our soldiers away from home and always in harms way. We should all take time to think about them...even just for a bit. Granted this poem was written by a US Marine some years ago; however, I think the thought fits for all....

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 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 SOLEMN YOUNG 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."

[Aries202]

Beautiful..

[Syd_Vicious]

Thanks for the kind thoughts. Im a twice again Iraq veteran (two deployments) that got injured my last go round and it always helps to see good will for my brothers and sisters in arms still in Afghanistan and Iraq.

[Gellan]

You wrote that yourself? If so, bravo.

[makarios68]

Man is oft an evil creature, and so the necesity of security is a fact of life.

Soldiers, of some description, will always be needed, to defend against evil.

Yet catastrophe occurs when there are evil men in power, and soldiers do their bidding.

Soldiers are pawns in a struggle for power.

Wether they are good or evil depends on their masters.

[Crowbane]

I come from a forces family. The 'job' is as tough on those who wait at home. Not knowing whether my Dad was going to walk off the plane or be carried was a nightmare.

So as well as the men and women who serve, spare a thought for the wives, mothers and children of these brave soldiers, who dread the knock at the door.

Blessings on all

Regards

[Angelwinged_Devil]

this... is... beautiful... do you think it is ok if I make music of it sometime?

[gluffs]

A minute of thought goes to all that is away from their familiys during the
hollidays, hope they may return home safely.

And hopefully someday in the future we wont need to send out troops, either
by that we dont need soldiers anymore or by pure technology that keeps the
troops away from harms way. Sadly it will probably the later since there will
allways be a manipulative douche bag that wants to spread evil in this world.