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12/17/2006 08:27:12 PM · #1 |
I just received the poem below in an email. I have read it before on previous Christmas'...but this time it got me thinking. There is so much commercialism to Christmas. And while I love all the tinsel and smiling children dressed in their Christmas attire and Santa ho-ho-hoing to everyone...I thought...why don't we have a challenge showing the other side to Christmas. You know...the behind the scenes. The workers wiping the sweat off behind the stage play, the families too poor to have all the trimmings..yet smiling as they celebrate the day...the children having more fun with the wrapper rather than the present.
The other side to Christmas...let's show it...as that is what Christmas is really about...the people!
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, AN AUSTRALIAN 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, ITS 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.
NOTE
"This poem was written by an Australian Peacekeeping soldier stationed
over seas. The following is his request. I think it is reasonable.
PLEASE.
Would you do me the kind favour of sending this to as many people as
you can? Christmas will be coming soon and some credit is due to all of
the servicemen 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
themselves for us. Please, do your small part to plant this small seed.
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12/17/2006 09:29:49 PM · #2 |
Last I knew that Poem was Unknown Author... So if really who you say thats cool...
This one is by me.
--Alone At X-Mas--
Alone at x-mas not even a tree
Nothing to show what day it happens to be
As I sit here alone
Just the same as the day done before
With the glow of my box
My only friend
And the put-down replies
The only time someone says hi
Missing my kids
They are far, far away
Missing my life
I ended it in strife
Just another day today
Same as the day before
As I sit here alone
Day after day
Hoping to hear I hate what you say
My job is too stressful
Too tired afterward
So I sit here and stare
At the blank part of my wall
No one to call me
No one to stop by
So I just sit here and yearn to die
Yet I breathe all of my breath
And never will I shake hands with Death
When I have nothing to move on for
I will still stick around
For maybe
Just maybe
Someone might see me
Day after day
All year round
Nothing has changed
Year after year
So what makes this day different
Nothing
It is just another day
Alone
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12/17/2006 09:39:45 PM · #3 |
I am not sure who wrote it either...I have seen it with the credit below as well as the Anon Author...! But I still think its a great poem and really makes you think...hence the suggestion.
BTW...I like your poem.
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12/17/2006 10:00:45 PM · #4 |
I tear up every time I read that, as I've been away from my family for Christmas. FWIW, I heard it was written by an US Army Ranger.
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12/17/2006 10:08:43 PM · #5 |
This poem was written by a Marine stationed in Okinawa, Japan.
© Corporal James M. Schmidt, December 1991
Beautiful sentiments. I spent my first Christmas away from my family in Iraq, and it really sucked. My kids would not put up a tree that year because I was not at home.
It doesn't really matter who wrote the poem, it reflects the sacrifice made by anyone who serves something other than themselves.
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12/18/2006 12:28:00 AM · #6 |
Originally posted by JamesKW:
This poem was written by a Marine stationed in Okinawa, Japan.
© Corporal James M. Schmidt, December 1991
Beautiful sentiments. I spent my first Christmas away from my family in Iraq, and it really sucked. My kids would not put up a tree that year because I was not at home.
It doesn't really matter who wrote the poem, it reflects the sacrifice made by anyone who serves something other than themselves. |
Yup....just read this as well on snopes Here.
I always check the multitude of stories I receive via email, at snopes, before I forward/repeat them. Saves for a lot of spam. :)
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12/18/2006 12:35:14 AM · #7 |
Originally posted by colyla:
Originally posted by JamesKW:
This poem was written by a Marine stationed in Okinawa, Japan.
© Corporal James M. Schmidt, December 1991
Beautiful sentiments. I spent my first Christmas away from my family in Iraq, and it really sucked. My kids would not put up a tree that year because I was not at home.
It doesn't really matter who wrote the poem, it reflects the sacrifice made by anyone who serves something other than themselves. |
Yup....just read this as well on snopes Here.
I always check the multitude of stories I receive via email, at snopes, before I forward/repeat them. Saves for a lot of spam. :) |
Thank you for the link. |
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12/18/2006 12:49:50 AM · #8 |
Originally posted by colyla:
Yup....just read this as well on snopes Here.
I always check the multitude of stories I receive via email, at snopes, before I forward/repeat them. Saves for a lot of spam. :) |
Ditto! Lol, I was about to post that link but decided I'd best read the rest of the thread first. Wise minds....? ;) |
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