This page is dedicated for veterans of Gardening Leave contributions eg poems, prose, blogs or pictures. If you would like to submit a piece of work contact admin@gardeningleave.org
This poem was sent to us by one of our veterans. it was written by a serving soldier who asked that it be circulated………
T’was The Night Before Christmas
T’WAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS,
HE LIVED ALL ALONE,
IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE,
MADE OF PLASTER AND STONE.
I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY,
WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE,
AND TO SEE JUST WHO,
IN THIS HOME , DID LIVE.
I LOOKED ALL ABOUT,
A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE,
NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS,
NOT EVEN A TREE.
NO STOCKING BY MANTLE,
JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND,
ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES,
OF FAR DISTANT LANDS.
WITH MEDALS AND BADGES,
AWARDS OF ALL KINDS,
A SOBER THOUGHT,
CAME THROUGH MY MIND.
FOR THE HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT,
IT WAS DARK AND DREARY
I FOUND THE HOME OF A SOLDIER,
ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY.
THE SOLDIER LAY SLEEPING,
SILENT,ALONE,
CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR,
IN THE ONE BEDROOM HOME.
THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE,
THE ROOM IN DISORDER,
NOT HOW I PICTURED,
A BRITISH SOLDIER.
WAS THIS THE HERO,
OF WHOM I’D JUST READ?
CURLED UP ON A PONCHO,
THE FLOOR FOR A BED.
I REALISED THE FAMILIES,
THAT I SAW THIS NIGHT,
OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS,
WHO WERE WILLING TO FIGHT.
SOON ROUND THE WORLD,
THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY,
AND GROWNUPS WOULD CELEBRATE,
A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY.
THEY ALL ENJOYED FREEDOM,
EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR,
BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS,
LIKE THE ONE LYING HERE.
I COULDN’T HELP WONDER,
HOW MANY LAY ALONE,
ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE,
IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME.
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.”
THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER,
AND DRIFTED TO SLEEP,
I COULDN’T CONTROL IT,
I CONTINUED TO WEEP.
I KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS,
SO SILENT AND STILL,
AND WE BOTH SHIVERED,
FROM THE COLD NIGHTS CHILL.
I DIDN’T WANT TO LEAVE
ON THAT COLD DARK NIGHT,
THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOUR,
SO WILLING TO FIGHT.
THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER,
WITH A VOICE SOFT AND PURE,
WHISPERED “CARRY ON SANTA,
IT’S CHRISTMAS DAY, ALL IS SECURE.”
ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH,
AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT,
“MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND,
AND TO ALL, A GOOD NIGHT.”
This poem was written by a Peacekeeping soldier stationed overseas. The followingis his request. I think it is reasonable.
PLEASE. Would you do me the kind favour of sending this to as many people as you can. Christmas will be coming soon and some credit is due to all of the Service
men and women for our being able to celebrate these festivities. Let’s try in this small way to pay a tiny bit of what we owe. Make people STOP and think of our
heroes living and dead, who sacrificed themselves. FOR US.
Poem by Jimmy Church
Painting by Stevie Gibb
Jimmy Church’s report of his sponsored 10k run in aid of Gardening Leave
The Run
6 AM, Saturday the 24th October. I am in my niece’s house in Blackpool. I look out of the front window, it is raining cats and dogs, how do I know I hear you ask, ‘cos, I can hear the thuds and howls of them hitting the ground. (I am joking of course, for you sensitive souls) I have a 55 mile drive to get to the middle of nowhere, in which to me, is still the middle of the night !! Also, notwithstanding, I have no idea of this area or its road network, looking forward to getting lost.
What a madman I must be to do this. In my infinite wisdom, I have done the one thing that all soldiers learn from day one….NEVER VOLUNTEER…
Yes, I volunteered to do a 10k charity run, to try and help these wonderful people that give me so much hope for the future. And I can only hope, that I can do justice for them.
But, I wish that I had just asked Pamela if she had a hole for me to dig…. but here I am !!!
After about an hour and half of up and down motorways, A roads and some B roads, I got too about a 3 mile area of where I was supposed to be. Rather than mess up, I went into a garage on the outskirts of Bury, to ask directions, just as I asked, 8-10 police bust in, so there am I a hairy arsed jock standing, surrounded by all these police, apparently the garage had just been robbed within minutes prior to my arriving. (wisnae me Pam). I eventually managed to ask directions to Holcombe Moor training area, to which a young female police officer asked me why I wanted to go there, I said that I had driven from Glasgow to run for an ex-sevicemans charity. So, the police gave me an escort to the camp…….. so, on behalf of Gardening Leave and myself, I thank you Manchester police…
The weather was absolutely horrendous on the moor. Not the weather to be prancing over the moors in a tshirt and tracksuit bottoms in a mild gale !! When the run started, I hung off out at the back. Truth is, I just didn’t want trampled by all the gung ho types. I jogged at what I thought was a nice leisurely pace, till 3 people with zimmers passed me, but when we got too the first slope, I tripped them up and threw their zimmers back down the hill (that’ll teach them ) I am joking all you zimmer lovers ……
I settled in at the middle of the group for a while, but my fitness level just wasn’t as good as I would have liked. But at the end of the day, I was not there for me, but to do a job, of running for Gardening Leave, and to finish the course. The group split at the 3k mark, we were still climbing up onto the moorland summit towards the trig point. I was running alongside 3 women, and we had a nice plateau to run across, or so it seemed. The ground was really marshy, and one of the lassies seemed to find the deepest part of it all the time. 6 times I pulled her out. Her two friends left us, and went on, so I couldn’t in all honesty leave her by herself, and we couldn’t see anyone behind us due to the heavy rain and mist, which made us think that we were the last two..
Eventually we started to go downhill, we had no idea of what the last 2k held, but when we found out (I cursed you Evelyn for showing me the run info) We came to the first mudwalk, it was up to my waist for twenty feet, I tried to help the wee lassie as much as I was able, by trying to find her an easy route through the mud, this was the first of them, we got out, then into a small raging stream which was also waist deep, and bloody freezing (dont ask girls)then two more mud and river walks. 300 yards to go, one obstacle left, to crawl under a camo net, then a final run/jog/crawl over the line…
I got a big hug from the wee lassie, who was absolutely shattered and overcome that she had done it, she thanked me for all my help and wished me well and safe in my journey home..
My new tshirts will never ever be the same lol, as they are no longer pristine white.rather a black/grey/peatybrown colour. So, Pamela, any holes to be dug in future, I’m your man hahahahaha, someone else can run.
Ps… got a phonecall while I was up there on the moors, it was Lord Provost of Glasgow…just to say that they wanted their IDIOT back……….
Jimmy Church
