I gazed 'round the room and I cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.
Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
Transforming the yard to a winter delight.
The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,
Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.
My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.
In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,
So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.
The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near,
But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.
Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know,
Then the sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.
My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
And I crept to the door just to see who was near.
Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.
A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,
Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.
Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,
Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.
"What are you doing?" I asked without fear,
"Come in this moment, it's freezing out here!
Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,
You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!"
For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,
Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts...
Then he sighed and he said "Its really all right,
I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night."
"It's my duty to stand at the front of the line,
That separates you from the darkest of times.
No one had to ask or beg or implore me,
I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.
My Gramps died at 'Pearl on a day in December,"
Then he sighed, "That's a Christmas 'Gram always remembers.
My dad stood his watch in the jungles of 'Nam,
And now it is my turn and so, here I am.
I've not seen my own son in more than a while,
But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile."
Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,
The red, white, and blue... an American flag.
"I can live through the cold and the being alone,
Away from my family, my house and my home.
I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.
I can carry the weight of killing another,
Or lay down my life with my sister and brother...
Who stand at the front against any and all,
To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall."
"So go back inside," he said, "harbor no fright,
Your family is waiting and I'll be all right."
"But isn't there something I can do, at the least,
Give you money," I asked, "or prepare you a feast?
It seems all too little for all that you've done,
For being away from your wife and your son."
Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
"Just tell us you love us, and never forget.
To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone,
To stand your own watch, no matter how long.
For when we come home, either standing or dead,
To know you remember we fought and we bled
Is payment enough, and with that we will trust
That we mattered to you as you mattered to us."
God Bless the Men and Women serving overseas during these holidays. God Bless the families waiting at home for their return. And God Bless the people on the homefront who support our troops.
So who wrote the poem? You offer no credit for it.
ReplyDeleteDoes your God hate those that do not support war, destruction, and hate in name of nationalism?
Don't know who wrote it, unfortunately. Apologies for that. It came in an email from a friend of mine.
ReplyDeleteAnd quit trying to spark an argument. If you don't like the way my country handles business, find a different one.
You didn't answer my question. You don't own the country anyway. You go find a different one.
ReplyDeleteIt's not an argument. It's a real question based on your post.
Do you not want comments unless they are in the form of praise?
Here's your answer: I'm agnostic. I have no god,dinosaurs are real, and people came from monkeys.
ReplyDeleteI don't give a shit if you want to post questions, I'm just tired of hippie fucking Democrats questioning this war from behind their computer screens, when they've done nothing to contribute to the state of this nation. Not saying that you're one of those people, but I'm just sick of their shit.
I'm gonna hop in here since I'm pretty sure I'm the one you're trying to get a rise out of. Let me start off by saying Thank You for reading our post. Like it or hate it, at least you're reading it.
ReplyDeleteSecondly, if you'd like to debate this, I would request that you state your position using more then two sentences that are relevant to the topic at hand.(Let's be honest, the porm was about a Soldier, and you asked me about "my God.") Please try using something other then the generic talking points that you're used to, because although they may sound good in theory, there is no substance involved.(And honestly, it looks like something I'd expect on from a University of Texas football player on a midterm in a Advanced Philosophy in the Study of Religious Texts from 0 B.C-1932 A.D. Sure it sounds interesting, but you have absolutely no idea what you're talking about.) And finally, if you're going to respond in a thoughtful, debatable way, email it to fluffybunny@att.blackberry.net. You don't have to, but if you comment again, you give me the right to take your comments and post them on the blog so the Kindle readers can follow along as well.
And P.S, we don't care what you have to say in your comments, just please try to make them relevant and on topic. Capiche?
I thought this poem was very touching. So often Americans don't remember those who risk their lives for us and our country. I try my hardest to give thanks to those men/women. So thank you, Fluffy + Bunny. You are both heroes in my eyes.
ReplyDeleteGod bless
You are too touchy. What exactly was not on topic in my response to your post?
ReplyDeleteYou credited no one with the poem so I asked who wrote it. You answered that you had no idea. It would have been helpful if you stated this when you posted it. You pretend to have gone to college, but it is obvious that you did not. Without crediting the writer you come close to pretending that it is your work. Maybe you like kindle readers to believe you wrote it?
You state God bless those that participate in war and those that agree with you and support the troops in the war mission. I ask about your God and your selective blessing.
You are quick to knock everyone not in agreement with you and your mission. This is your blog and you can keep it. Not to worry as I won't be reading anymore. It is clear that you seek praise and support and if one disagrees they should abandon reading this blog. You are rude.
Someday, the world will realize that we're awesome...
ReplyDeleteYou know whats wrong with this picture? This arrogant prick who chooses to hide behind an "anonymous" tag has two complaints. One is that I didn't source the work. I can agree with that complaint, and would even give it some merit. If there is anyone that was misled, I apologize. The second complaint is that I said "God Bless the troops, their families, and their supporters." Apparently I forgot to ask God to bless the Teletubbies, Mickey Mouse, the cast of The Big Bang Theory, and the nice half of the population living in Borneo. I did not ask God to bless everyone in the world, and apparently that is wrong. Obviously this person has asked every single day that "their" God(I love how s/he phrased it like I own God), bless every person on earth.
ReplyDeleteYou're right, I don't like those that disagree with me. Thats the glory of free will. I don't have to like people. Get over it. And please stop saying you are going to stop reading our blog. If you're going to stop, then stop. But don't keep commenting so you can satisfy your petty need for validation.