Merry Christmas




May we be  thankful....



THE SANDS OF  CHRISTMAS

by Michael  Marks




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."




Michael Marks: "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.

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Quoted: Bump

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Nice. A lot to be greatful this season!

I know my problems mean nothing. I remember when I was in the Corps & missing my family on Christmas. I wasn't in combat but being away sucked big time.

Thank you to all who keep my son & me safe. God bless you, & keep you.

No room on pg.2 for this BTT

One more bump.