A very special personal Christmas message

[jinks]

If I'm gone. post this for me.
A very special personal Christmas message

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, A TRUE BRITISH SOLDIER.


WAS THIS THE HERO, OF WHOM I'D JUST READ?

CURLED UP ON A PONCHO, THE FLOOR FOR A BED?


I REALISED 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 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.

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[lonelywombat]

Source unknown

As a freelance piper I was asked by a funeral director to play at a graveside service for a
homeless man at a cemetery in the Kentucky backcountry. Being unfamiliar with the
backwoods I got lost and arrived an hour late. The hearse was no-where in sight and the
funeral director had evidently gone. There was only the backhoe and crew left, and they
were eating lunch. I felt most embarrassed and apologized to the men for being late.

I then went to the side of the grave and looked down and saw that the vault lid was
already in place. As I didn't know what else to do, I started to play. The workers put
down their lunches and began to gather around. I played out my heart and soul for this
man with no family and friends. I played like I've never played before and as I played
'Amazing Grace,' the workers began to weep.

They wept, I wept, we all wept together. When I finished I packed up my pipes and
started for my car. Though my head hung low, my heart was full. Then I heard one of the
workers say, "I never seen nothin' like that before and I've been putting in septic tanks
.for twenty years."

Apparently, I was still lost....