# A different Christmas poem for the troops overseas



## PMedMoe (22 Nov 2006)

Hope this is the right place to post this.

A DIFFERENT CHRISTMAS POEM

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 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 Canadian, huddled there 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."

"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 Dieppe on a day in December,"
Then he sighed, "That's a Christmas Gram always remembers."

My dad stood his watch in that Korean Land
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,
something red and white, ... a Canadian 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 trench 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, "harbour 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."


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## Haggis (22 Nov 2006)

PMedMoe:

Did you compose this?


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## tomahawk6 (22 Nov 2006)

I liked the poem. Its by Michael Marks.


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## Haggis (22 Nov 2006)

Seen.  Google is MY friend, too.

http://iwvpa.net/marksm/


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## tomahawk6 (22 Nov 2006)

I dont like google. I prefer Yahoo.


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## PMedMoe (22 Nov 2006)

Haggis said:
			
		

> PMedMoe:
> 
> Did you compose this?



Obviously not, but thanks for asking!  

Excellent poem.


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## Haggis (22 Nov 2006)

PMedMoe said:
			
		

> Obviously not, but thanks for asking!



You're welcome.  The question seemed reasonable and relevant until T6 showed up!



			
				PMedMoe said:
			
		

> Excellent poem.



It is.  I wonder if there are any Canadian poets writing similar stuff.


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## gaspasser (22 Nov 2006)

:'(
A sweet peom for this time of year.
I've seen similiar with "Marine" in place of Canadian.  I think it will make it's way around the world no matter what.

 :cheers:  to our Troops, deployed.


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## 17thRecceSgt (22 Nov 2006)

Nicely done.  Thanks for posting it, I had never heard it before.

For our boys and girls that are away as the Holidays approach, and the ones that will spend Christmas without their families...


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## youravatar (23 Nov 2006)

Merry Christmas from your regimental families.


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## Comdessert (24 Nov 2006)

<sniff>

That's fantastic.

- CD


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## gaspasser (24 Nov 2006)

This seems like  a good place to post this tidbit of nice info.  
The Canex here in Trenton is selling "wishing you were here" type Christmas cards this year.  But the ones I 've seen so far are "from" a loved one and there seem to be no generic ones.  I'll keep looking though and send some off the our deployed troops to let them know that we are thinking of them during this season.  Do any of the other Canex's carry these greeting cards?


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