THE SANDS OF CHRISTMAS
I had no Christmas spirit
when I breathed a weary sigh,
And looked across the table where
the bills were piled too high.
The laundry wasn't finished
and the car I had to fix,
My stocks were down another point,
the Chargers lost by six.
And so with only minutes till
my son got home from school
I gave up on the drudgery
and grabbed a wooden stool.
The burdens that I carried
were about all I could take,
And so I flipped the TV on
to catch a little break.
I came upon a desert scene
in shades of tan and rust,
No snowflakes hung upon the wind,
just clouds of swirling dust.
And where the reindeer should have
stood before a laden sleigh,
Eight Humvees ran a column
right behind an M1A.
A group of boys walked past the tank,
not one was past his teens
Their eyes were hard as polished flint,
their faces drawn and lean.
They walked the street in armor
with their rifles shouldered tight,
Their dearest wish for Christmas,
just to have a silent night.
Other soldiers gathered,
hunkered down against the wind,
To share a scrap of mail and
dreams of going home again.
There wasn't much at all to
put their lonely hearts at ease,
They had no Christmas turkey,
just a pack of MREs.
They didn't have a garland or
a stocking I could see,
They didn't need an ornament--
they lacked a Christmas tree.
They didn't have a present
even though it was tradition,
The only boxes I could see
were labeled "ammunition"
I felt a little tug and found
my son now by my side,
He asked me what it was I feared,
and why it was I cried.
I swept him up into my arms
and held him oh so near
And kissed him on the forehead
as I whispered in his ear.
"There's nothing wrong, my little son,
for safe we sleep tonight
Our heroes stand on foreign land
to give us all the right,
To worry on the things in life
that mean nothing at all,
Instead of wondering if we
will be the next to fall."
He looked at me as children do
and said, "It's always right,
To thank the ones who help us
and perhaps that we should write."
And so we pushed aside the bills
and sat to draft a note,
To thank the many far from home
and this is what we wrote:
"God bless you all and keep you
safe and speed your way back home.
Remember that we love you so,
and that you're not alone.
The gift you give you share with all,
a present every day,
You give the gift of liberty
and that we can't repay."
Written By: Michael Marks
Message from Michael: "I freely
submit this poem for reprint
without reservation--this is an
open and grateful tribute
to the men and
women who
serve every day to
keep our nation safe.
Midi Playing: Pray For Me
May all the men and women fighting
on this day
come home soon & safely!
 
 
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