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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  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 DID NOT 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 an Australian  Peacekeeping soldier stationed overseas. 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 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.