--- Samperoots@aol.com wrote: > From: Samperoots@aol.com > Date: Fri, 24 Nov 2000 21:23:39 EST > Subject: [BECK] A Christmas Poem > To: BECK-L@rootsweb.com > Reply-to: BECK-L@rootsweb.com > > For the love of my daughter and her fellow Marines. > > Subject: A Christmas Poem.... > > > > > > > > > > > > '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 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 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 > > > > > > > > > > ==== BECK Mailing List ==== > List problems??? > Contact the listowner. > Tom Nagy <tomnagy@nauticom.net> > ===== Bette Sears home page http://www.geocities.com/bezzsears For Researching Beck, Bohn, Craven, Cravin, Hall, Hild, Hohl, Layton, Peoples, Presley, Ruth, Schwaegerle, Sears, Simon, Stanford, Vogel __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Shopping - Thousands of Stores. Millions of Products. http://shopping.yahoo.com/