[Update: I prepared this post well over a week ago and told TypePad to post it automatically this morning with no further help from me. It's strictly fortuitous coincidence that doing so resulted in a post containing a link to the IWVPA site landing directly above Tony's first Old War Dogs post. I just happen to link to his site quite a bit, and have been for a couple of years now.]

I guess when Russ Vaughn and the girl I took to my Junior Prom send me the same poem maybe that means I really oughta post it. Email from Russ in early November:

Bill, I know this has been around a while but it's still a damned good poem. Wish I'd written it. ...

Some clarification is in order here. The email I received from Russ, and the one from the old girlfriend, ended with these paragraphs:

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.

LCDR Jeff Giles, SC, USN
30th Naval Construction Regiment
OIC, Logistics Cell One
Al Taqqadum, Iraq.

It should be noted here that LCDR Giles did not write "A Soldier's Christmas," nor does he claim to. It was written by Mr. Michael Marks, several of whose works are collected here, including including some others you'll recognize and at least one of which I've posted in the past.

Thank you, LCDR Giles, for your service to our nation and for helping get the word out about a great piece of poetry.

Here, in it's entirety, is my post from about a year ago (I have email from Michael containing permission to post the whole thing):

This is a re-post from last year; it's still excellent. Thank you Subsunk for reminding me about it (Do read his related post.)

A SOLDIER'S CHRISTMAS

The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,
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 eye 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,
to the window that danced with a warm fire’s light
then he sighed and he said “Its really all right,
I’m out here by choice. I’m here every night”

“Its 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 sisters and brothers
who stand at the front against any and all,
to insure 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.”

©Copyright December 07, 2000 by Michael Marks

   

Author’s Notes:

A Soldier's Christmas was the first in this series of patriotic writings, drafted on Pearl Harbor Day 2000 when in the wake of the 2000 Presidential Election our nation saw the right of US Armed Forces personnel openly questioned and debated. I felt it unconscionable that at the onset of the Christmas season, those serving to defend our nation would hear anything but our love and support. It is our challenge to stand for their rights at home while they stand for our lives and safety overseas. This poem went out and quickly spread around the world in emails, letters, magazines. I received letters from Marines in Bosnia, soldiers in Okinawa, from a submariner who xeroxed a copy for everyone on his sub. Moms wrote, dads, brothers and sisters. I have saved and cherish every letter and set out to continue writing throughout the year.

I was thinking about our servicemen overseas this Holiday Season and wrote the following in hope of bringing a small bit of Christmas cheer to active duty and veterans alike ... just a humble thanks and "God Bless." Please feel free to pass it along or post it as you see fit. Thank you.

Happy Holidays,
Michael Marks

Sources: here and here.

Contributed by Bill Faith on November 24, 2006 at 06:00 AM in Bill Faith, Christmas, Michael Marks, Poetry | Permalink

Comments

Posted by: Alice McLaughlin

I would like to thank Michael Marks for writing this. As the wife and mother,and sister of military I would like to share my hopes and prayers of thanks to all of our servicemen and servicewomen who make the sacrifice of serving to protect us and our country. Thanks,God Bless and come home safe! Merry Christmas Alice McLaughlin

Posted by: Alice McLaughlin | Dec 3, 2006 12:01:21 PM

Posted by: JIM ASSELIN

WELL YOU STARTED IT WITH YOUR POEM--HERES ANOTHER. IT WAS WRITTEN BY A BEACE KEEPING SOLDIER STATIONED OVERSEAS.
THE FOLLOWING IS HIS REQUEST , AND I THINK ITS REASONABLE.
PLEASE WOULD YOU DO ME A KIND FAVOUR OF FORWARD THIS TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS YOU CAN? CHRISTMAS IS COMING SOON AND SOME CREDIT IS DUE TO OUR CANADIAN SERVICE MEM AND WEMON FOR OUR BEING ABLE TO CELEBRATE THESE FESTIVITIES. LETS 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 SACRIFICE THEMSELVES FOR US, PLEASE , DO YOUR SMALL PART TO PLANT THIS SMALL SEED

TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS,
HE LIVED ALL ALONE,
THEY ALL ENJOYED FREEDOM
EACH MONTH OF THE TEAR.
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 DROPED 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,
ICOULDN,T CONTROLE IT,
I CONTINUED TO WEAR.

I KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS,
SO SILENT AND STILL
AND WE BOTH SHIVERED
FROM THE COLD NIGHTS CHILL.

I DIDN,T WANT TO LEAVE
ON THAT COLD,DARK, NIGHT,
THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOUR
SO WILLING TO FIGHT.

THAN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER
WITH A VOICE SOFT AND PURE,
WHISPERED, CARRY ON SANTA,
ITS CHRISTMAS DAY, ALL IS SECURE,"

ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH, AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT,MERRY CHRISTMAS, MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND, AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT."

I PRINTED IT OFF, BUT DIDN,T SAVE IT, BIG MISTAKE, BECAUSE I STARTED GETTING SOME HEARTFELT REPLIES, THATS WHY I HAD TO TYPE FOR YOU---NOW THIS IS CANADIAN, BUT WE ALL CELIBRATE CHRISTMAS
REGARDS JIM ASSELIN

Posted by: JIM ASSELIN | Dec 7, 2006 8:04:22 AM

Posted by: Pat Keen

Aloha,
I was searching the web for something to read at our Christmas /eve Service here in Nahiku,Maui
Lots of cute Da nite befo Christmas (pigeon style)
and then the Lord led my heart to our soldiers and families and he led me to this.
Mahalo,my new friend,Mele Kalikimaka,
Pat

Posted by: Pat Keen | Dec 13, 2006 10:32:13 PM

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