Errol, God bless and Merry, Merry Christmas. Barbara \in NJ, USA > This is a multi-part message in MIME format. > > ------=_NextPart_000_0143_01C06DFD.34DC9A40 > Content-Type: text/plain; > charset="iso-8859-1" > Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable > > Merry Christmas and a VERY Happy New Year to all from Down Under. > > 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, > 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 HONOUR, > 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 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 our Australian and ALL Service Men and Women for our being able to = > celebrate these festivities.=20 > > 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.=20 > > > Please, do your small part to plant this small seed. > > Errol S. Nilson Mount Isa, Australia > > ------=_ > > > ==== SCOTLAND Mailing List ==== > #0) Why not expand your horizons-- > Sign on with the SCOTLAND-GENWEB mailing list: > mailto:SCOTLAND-GENWEB-L-request@rootsweb.com?subject=subscribe > > > ==== SCOTLAND-GENWEB Mailing List ==== > #1) Could be that you're looking for someone in Dublin, Ireland ? > mailto:IRL-DUBLIN-L-request@rootsweb.com?subject=subscribe >