kartooner

I looked all about a strange sight I did see,
No tin­sel, no presents, not even a tree.
No stock­ing by the fire, just boots filled with sand,
On the wall hung pic­tures of far dis­tant lands.

With medals and badges, awards of all kind
A sober thought came through my mind.
For this house was dif­fer­ent, so dark and dreary,
I knew I had found the home of a sol­dier, once I could see clearly.

I heard sto­ries about them, I had to see more
So I walked down the hall and pushed open the door.
And there he lay sleep­ing silent alone,
Curled up on the floor in his one bed­room home.

His face so gen­tle, his room in such dis­or­der,
Not how I pic­tured a United States sol­dier.
Was this the hero of whom I?d just read?
Curled up in his pon­cho, a floor for his bed?

His head was clean shaven, his weath­ered face tan,
I soon under­stood this was more than a man.
For I real­ized the fam­i­lies that I saw that night
Owed their lives to these men who were will­ing to fight.

Soon ?round the world, the chil­dren would play,
And grownups would cel­e­brate on a bright Christ­mas day.
They all enjoyed free­dom each month of the year,
Because of sol­diers like this one lying here.

I couldn?t help won­der how many lay alone
On a cold Christ­mas Eve in a land far from home.
Just 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.”

With that he rolled over and drifted off into sleep,
I couldn?t con­trol it, I con­tin­ued to weep.
I watched him for hours, so silent and still,
I noticed he shiv­ered from the cold night?s chill.

So I took off my jacket, the one made of red,
And I cov­ered this Sol­dier from his toes to his head.
And I put on his T-shirt of gray and black,
With an eagle and an Army patch embroi­dered on back.

And although it barely fit me, I began to swell with pride,
And for a shin­ing moment, I was United States Army deep inside.
I didn?t want to leave him on that cold dark night,
This guardian of honor so will­ing to fight.