Christmas-and-Heroes

The previous page was: "A Great Adventure"

T'WAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS HE LIVED ALL ALONE, IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE MADE OF PLASTER AND STONE.

FATHER CHRISTMAS COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE, AND TO SEE JUST WHOM IN THIS HOME, DID LIVE.

HE LOOKED ALL ABOUT A STRANGE AND SAD SIGHT HE DID SEE, NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS; NOT EVEN A TREE.

NO STOCKING BY THE MANTLE JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND, ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES OF FAR DISTANT LANDS.

WITH MEDALS AND BADGES OF BRAVERY; AWARDS OF ALL KINDS, A SOBER THOUGHT CAME THROUGH HIS MIND.

FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT, IT WAS DARK AND DREARY, HE HAD FOUND THE HOME OF A SOLDIER.

HE COULD SEE CLEARLY THE SOLDIER WHO LAY SLEEPING, SILENT, AND ALONE, CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR, IN HIS ONE BEDROOM HOME.

THE FACE LOOKED SO GENTLE; BUT THE ROOM WAS IN DISORDER, NOT QUITE HOW HE HAD PICTURED A TRUE BRITISH SOLDIER.

WAS THIS THE HERO OF WHOM HE HAD JUST READ? CURLED UP ON A PONCHO USING THE FLOOR FOR A BED?

HE REALISED THE FAMILIES THAT HE SAW THIS NIGHT, OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS WHO WERE PREPARED TO FIGHT.

SO THAT ALL ROUND THE WORLD THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY, AND GROWNUPS COULD CELEBRATE A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY.

THEY COULD ALL ENJOY FREEDOM, EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR, AND ONLY BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS LIKE THE ONE LYING HERE.

HE COULDN'T HELP WONDER HOW MANY OTHERS MAY LAY ALONE, ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE IN A DISTANT LAND FAR FROM HOME.

THE VERY THOUGHT BROUGHT A LITTLE TEAR TO HIS EYE, THEN HE DROPPED TO HIS KNEES AND STARTED TO CRY.

WHEN THE SOLDIER AWAKENED HE HEARD HIS ROUGH VOICE, "SANTA DON'T CRY, THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE.

I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM, I DON'T ASK FOR MORE, MY LIFE IS DEDICATED TO MY COUNTRY, MY CORPS.."

THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER AND DRIFTED INTO SLEEP, FATHER CHRISTMAS CONTINUED TO WEEP.

HE KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS SO SILENT AND STILL, THEY BOTH SHIVERED FROM THE COLD NIGHT'S CHILL.

HE DID NOT WANT TO LEAVE ON THAT COLD, DARK, NIGHT, THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOR WHO WAS WILLING TO FIGHT.

THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER AND WITH A VOICE SOFT AND PURE, HE WHISPERED, "CARRY ON SANTA; IT'S CHRISTMAS AND ALL IS SECURE."

SANTA LOOKED AT HIS WATCH AND KNEW THAT HE WAS RIGHT, "MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND TO YOU AND TO ALL OF MANKIND, THIS IS INDEED A WONDERFUL NIGHT."

A Great Adventure

Pass this on to your friends and your heroes

Whether it is Christmas or not; credit is due to all of the service men and women for allowing us to be able to celebrate all of these festivities.

Let's try in this small way to pay a tiny bit of what we owe to make other people stop and think of our heroes, living and dead, those who are prepared to sacrifice themselves for us.

Pass this on and do your small part to remind others of their courage, great deeds and valour.

The next Link below will be: "Christmas Poem"

Christmas-and-Heroes Christmas Poem

"Pirates Trilogy" $20