[Mb-civic] FW: [Mb-hair] FW: The Night Before Christmas

[Michael Butler]

>From Glen:


>  THE GIFT
>
>                     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
>                         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 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 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.
>
>

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