Posted by
Lance Cordill on Wednesday, April 29, 2009 5:03:37 PM
TWAS MIDNIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS
IN SOME DISTANT LAND
A SEABEE READIED FOR WATCH
TO TAKE CHARGE AND COMMAND
HIS UNIT HAD WORKED HARD
THROUGH THICK AND THROUGH THIN
TO FIGHT THIS SADDAM
AND OSAMA AND WIN
PRIOR NIGHT HAD BEEN HEATED
BY BATTLES DESPAIR
BUT TONIGHT WAS TO BE DIFFERENT
THEIR WAS A CALM I THE AIR
THE SEABEES JUST COMPLETED
A REINFORCED PATROL
NO ENEMY WAS SPOTTED
SEABEES AGAIN IN CONTROL
OF ALL PROPERTY AND SIGHT
AS GENERAL ORDERS RELAY
THE LONE SEABEE ON WATCH
THE CHIEF WAS THE LAST
TO ADDRESS HIS SEABEE,
“HANG IN THERE ‘TIL DAWN
BE BACK ‘ROUND ZERO THREE
KEEP YOUR EYES AND EARS OPEN
AND YOUR WITS ON THESE GROUNDS
YOU’RE A SEABEE ON GUARD
COMPLETE WITH LIVE ROUNDS
I KNOW IT’S CHRISTMAS EVE
THE LUCK OF THE DRAW
I NEED SOMEONE HERE GOOD
THE BEST WITHOUT FLAW”
ON WENT THOSE GOGGLES
WHERE EVERYTHING TURNS GREEN
THE SEABEE ON WATCH LOOKED BAD
HE REALLY LOOKED MEAN!
WITH OTHER SEABEES IN TOTO
OFF THE CHIEF WENT
BACK TO BASE CAMP
ALL TIRED AND SPENT
THE LONE SEABEE ON WATCH
TESTED BY BATTLE
OWNED THE DARK NIGHT
NERVES DIDN’T RATTLE
SECONDS TURNED TO MINUTES
MINUTES INTO AN HOUR
STILL THE SEABEE STOOD WATCH
HIS HEART DID NOT SOUR
THEN AT ZERO ONE
LIKE A SCUD MISSLE
AN IDEA HIT HOME HARD,
“CHRISTMAS WAS OFFICIAL”
YET, THOUGH FAR AWAY
WITH LOVED ONES BACK HOME
HIS BUDDIES BACK ASLEEP
HE’D STILL NOT BEMOAN
ABOUT WHY HE WAS HERE
ATOP A DESERT MOUND
IN FACT IT BECAME CLEAR
WHY SEABEES WERE AROUND
HELPING THOSE WISHING FREEDOM
WHO’VE BEEN OPPRESSED
UNSHACKLING THEIR CHAINS
FROM REGIMES TURNED OBSESSED
IT’S NOT THE DESERT
CAUSING FREEDOM’S THIRST
WE’RE JUST NOW LEARNING
IT’S OK TO STRIKE FIRST
SO FOR AN HOUR THIS WENT ON
TURNING RYHME INTO REASON
LENDING CREDENCE TO SEABEES
STANDING GUARD CHRISTMAS SEASON
BUT THEN AROUND ZERO TWO
SOMETHING DID CHANGE
THE SEABEE SAW A LIGHT
WHICH FLICKERED DOWNRANGE
ABOVE THE HORIZON
OR WHAT ONE CAN BE IN THE DARK
LIKE PETER PAN’S TINKER BELL
‘TWAS AGLOW WITHOUT BARK
THIS LITTLE LIGHT VENTURED CLOSER
STILL TIMID AND REMOTE
SO OUR SEABEE RADIOED IN
TAKING TIME TO DENOTE
THERE WAS THIS STRANGE SPARKLE
IN HOOSIER, DOWN YONDER WAY
IT WAS HARD TO DESCRIBE
TWASN’T A SEABEE, NO WAY!
BUT THE SPARKLE ITSELF
WAS LEAVING A TRAIL
LIKE A RUDDERLESS BOAT
BOBBING WITHOUT SAIL
SO THE SEABEE TOOK CHANCE
IN ORDER BETTER TO SEE
TO SEE WHAT THIS SPARKLE
THIS SPARKLE MIGHT BE
OFF WENT THE GOGGLES
AT FIRST THINGS TURNED ALL BLACK
BUT SOON SIGHT RETURNED
YUP, CAME RIGHT BACK
AND THERE BEYOND MEASURE
WITHOUT NOISE WITHOUT SOUND
DEEP IN THE HEART
THE SEABEE’S CHRISTMAS WAS FOUND
RIGHT UNDER OUR RADAR
AND OUR SATTALITE’S VISION
WAS A VEHICLE OF HOPE
REPLETE WITH PROVISION
NO CHALLENEGE WAS OFFERED
NO PASSWORD WAS NEEDED
ONLY JOY WAS PROFFERED
A NEW CHRISTMAS WAS SEEDED
IT LOOKED LIKE A TRAIN
CUDDLED WITH KEPT FUR
WITH THESE ANTLER LEGGED THINGS
THAT’D MAKE NAVY SEALS PUR
YES, THERE WAS RUDOLPH
TRUE TO STORY’S DELIGHT
AGAIN HE HAD TO HELP
THESE REINDEER UNTIL BRIGHT
OUT FROM THE BACK
A CABOSE DRESSED AS SLEIGH
ROSE THIS JOLLY BIG FELLA
MY GOD WHAT’D HE WEIGH?
ALL DRESSED IN NIGHT CAMMIES
ALL CHALKED AND WELL KEPT
HE WAS ALL FULL OF GLEE
THOUGH HE’D NOT YET SLEPT
“HO, HO THERE FELLOW SEABEE,
WHY DON’T LOOK SURPRISED
I’VE BEEN OUT DOING RECON
MY REAL OUTFIT THEY’D DESPISE
YOU’RE MY LAST STOP
AND I’VE SAVED THE BEST FOR LAST
BECAUSE YOU’VE REMEBERED THE TRUTH
YOU’VE REMEMBERED MY PAST
“ABOUT WHAT I’M ABOUT
JUST MORE THAN BEING NAMED NICK
FOR SOME I’M A SAINT
FOR OTHER’S I’M A – RICHARD”
“I NEVER ASKED FOR THIS HONOR
FOR SUCH A STORY TO UNFOLD
WHY IF IT WAS ME WITH JUST DONNER
I’D BE WITH MY WIFE BEING BOLD!”
“YOU’RE OUT ON YOUR WATCH
PULLING TIME CHRISTMAS EVE
BUT I WANT YOU TO KNOW
I’VE GOT SOMETHING UP MY SLEAVE”
“A SEABEE DOES HIS DUTY
REGARDLESS OF PLACE OR CLIME
EVEN MARINES BECOME SEABEES
WHEN GOD GRANTS ENOUGH TIME”
“BUT ALL CANDOR ASIDE
I KNOW THAT TIME IS PRESSING
YOU’VE BEEN TASKED BY THE LORD
WITH THIS IMPORTANT BLESSING”
“MOST ANGELS HAVE WINGS
GOD GAVE ME REINDEER
I FLY ACROSS EARTH
PROFFERING CHRIST’S CHEER”
“THAT DEEP WITHIN US ALL
IS A WELL WHICH RUNS DEEP
SOMETIMES IT GETS CRACKED
SOMETIMES IT DOES SEEP”
“SOMETIMES IT CRIES OUT
AND WE HURT AND WE WEEP
SOMETIMES WE SEEK VENGENCE
FOR AN ILL FLOWN OUR WAY
SOMETIMES WE SEEK JUSTICE
TO MAKE THOSE ONES PAY
SOMETIMES WE TAKE AIM
AT THOSE WE NEED MOST
FORGETTING THE LOVE
BESTOWED BY OUR HOST”
“NEVER FORGET DEAR SEABEE
THAT WHAT YOU DO HERE
ENSURES OUR WAY OF LIFE
THAT WE HOLD TO BE DEAR”
“AND AS A TOKEN OF TRUTH
FROM MY SLEAVE I RETRIEVE
A ROUND OF RESILIANCE
THAT YOUR METTLE RECEIVE”
“NEVER GIVE UP HOPE
NEVER GIVE UP THE FIGHT
NEVER LOSE SCOPE
WHAT YOU’RE DOING IS RIGHT”
AND THEN OFF HE WENT
ALONG WITH DONNER AND BLITZEN
COMET AND CUPID AND WELL -
HIS ELVES THAT WERE SPRITZEN
THE SEABEE ON WATCH STOOD FROZEN
RIGHT THERE ON HARD GROUND
NOT SURE WHAT HAD HAPPENED
WERE ANY OTHER SEABEES AROUND?
THE SEABEE ON WATCH LOOKED
GAZING TO THE STARY SKY
ASKING TO HIMSELF,
“COME ON NOW, LORD, WHY”?
YET, THE ANSWER HAD COME FORTH
AND IT HAD TURNED ZERO THREE
THE CHIEF WAS HEARD COMING
SURELY HE DID SEE?
BUT, IT REALLY DIDN’T MATTER
FOR CHRISTMAS HAD CAME
IN A WAY NEVER IMAGINED
LIFE COULD NEVER BE THE SAME
STILL THREE HOURS TO GO
THE SEABEE’S WATCH HALFWAY THROUGH
ALL OLD THOUGHTS BECAME EMPTY
FRESHNESS WAS NOW ANEW
ALL THAT HAD BEEN EARNED
FROM EARLY YOUTH UNTIL NOW
HAD GONE BY THE WAYSIDE
WITH SUCH POWER AND HOW
FOREVER STANDING DUTY
TAKING CHARGE OF ASSIGNED GROUND
THE SEABEES WILL BUILD AND FIGHT
OUR RESOLVE FIRMLY BOUND
“NO MATTER WHERE TERROR MAY HIDE
IN THE DEPTHS WHERE YOU LURK
WE WILL CONFRONT YOU WITH TRUTH
AND MAKE SURE THAT YOU HURT
WE WILL NEVER BACK DOWN
WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT YOU BLEED
WE WILL SURELY MAKE CERTAIN
THAT YOU WILL NEVER SUCCEED”
FOR THE SEABEE ON WATCH LEARNED
WHAT HAS TO AVOIDED
IS LETTING FEAR BE OUR FOE
A WEAKNESS TO BE EXPLOITED
FEAR WE WILL MASTER
FROM IT GREAT STRENGTH WILL ARISE
IT IS OUR KEY WEAPON
TO CAUSE TERROR’S DEMISE
IT’S BEEN A YEAR NOW
FROM THIS VERY DAY
WHEN OUR SEABEE STOOD WATCH
AND HE CONTINUES TO PRAY
THAT THIS WAR ONE DAY END
THIS WAR THAT’S ON TERROR
FOR BY NOW WE HAVE LEARNED
IT IS WAGED NOT IN ERROR
AND SO MY MILITARY FRIENDS
THIS IS A CONTINUING STORY
ABOUT A SEABEE STANDING WATCH
AND HIS CHIRSTMAS GLORY
IN NO CERTAIN TERMS
CAN WE PREDICT THE FUTURE
WHAT IT MAY BRING
WHERE WE MAY BE A SUTURE
WHERE SEABEES WILL BE CALLED
TO EXERCISE THEIR TRADE
TO DEFEND RIGHT FROM WRONG
WITH SUCH SHARPENED BLADE
TO ALL WHO SERVE OUR NATION
NO MATTER WHERE YE MAY BE
WE SEABEES “HOE-HOE” WISH YOU,
“A MERRY CHRISTMAS TO THEE”
LPC 2002-2003