Two Weeks Before Christmas — 2017

Monday Author: Susanne Skinner

Christmas Tree, Fireplace, Two Weeks Before Christmas, Susanne Skinner

Two weeks before Christmas, the year’s nearly done
The first snow has fallen, and winter’s begun.
My decorations are up and the lights twinkle bright
As I sit near the fire on this cold winter night.

My cards have been sent with a note in each one.
The presents are wrapped and the baking is done.
Our house is in order, not a thing’s out of place.
There is peace in my heart and a smile on my face.

I used Amazon Prime and bought all kinds of goodies.
The girls got new bathrobes, the boys Bruins hoodies.
I shopped till I dropped without leaving my chair
And in less than two days, my presents were there.

There are cookies and milk to set by the tree.
It’s a favorite tradition in our family.
For the story of Rudolph and all the reindeer
Are part of the magic this time of year.

But there’s one gift I want I can’t buy in a store.
It is peace in our world with an end to all war.
I think of our soldiers so far from their homes
And those with their names carved in rows of white stones.

Christmas Wreaths, Arlington National Cemetery, Wreaths Across America, Susanne SklinnerSo once again I am traveling to Washington D.C.
To place wreaths on their graves in our Cemetery.
I gaze at each headstone in row after row
And kneel by the man I was privileged to know.

I stand by the fallen so proud and so brave
And place a fresh wreath upon each one’s grave.
My eyes fill with tears and my heart swells with pride
For soldiers now resting in graves side by side.

I give thanks for their service and speak each one’s name
To keep their light burning – it’s the reason I came.
For our freedom is won by these women and men
Who fought for our country again and again.

A death fought in battle is a price many paid
With the war on the headstone where each one is laid.
Our soldiers defend us in war and in peace
With hope for the day when all fighting will cease.

I will come back next year on this very same day
To stand by a grave with a new wreath to lay.
My heart will be heavy and the day will be sad
As I place a fresh wreath on the grave of my Dad.

May your holidays be spent with those you hold dear.
May your new year be blessed with good health and cheer.
Give thanks for our soldiers keeping watch through the night
And for those who sleep peacefully, gone from our sight.

empty boots, military grave, Susanne Skinner

© 2017 Susanne M. Skinner

This entry was posted in Military, Susanne Skinner and tagged by Aline Kaplan. Bookmark the permalink.

About Aline Kaplan

Aline Kaplan is a published author, a blogger, and a tour guide in Boston. She formerly had a career as a high-tech marketing and communications director. Aline writes and edits The Next Phase Blog, a social commentary blog that appears multiple times a week at aknextphase.com. She has published over 1,000 posts on a variety of subjects, from Boston history to science fiction movies, astronomical events to art museums. Under the name Aline Boucher Kaplan, she has had two science fiction novels (Khyren and World Spirits) published by Baen Books. Her short stories have appeared in anthologies published in the United States, Ireland, and Australia. She is a graduate of Northeastern University in Boston and lives in Hudson, MA.

2 thoughts on “Two Weeks Before Christmas — 2017

  1. This is so beautiful Susanne. I am so grateful for your words- they are beautiful. Thank you for your ongoing commitment and love to our soldiers. I hope one day I can join you in this service.

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