It was December
Christmas Eve to be exact
Snowflakes littered the ground
Like cigarette butts on the
Sidewalks of New York City

All around the world
People were surrounded by family
Their hearts filled with hope
Awaiting the joys
Of tomorrow

The soldier walked slowly through the forest
He was not with his family
His heart was not filled with hope
And tomorrow only meant
More fighting and shooting

Trudging grimly
Through the
Leaf covered ground
It was silent

The only sound was the
Crunch
Crunch
Crunch
Of leaves beneath his feet
It was strange to hear silence
Amidst a raging war

Suddenly
Out of the corner of his eye
He spotted a piano
Abandoned in small clearing

It was relatively new
Only a little
Scuffed up
Out of place among
The dry plants
And remains of buildings

He stepped closer to it
Vaguely he remembered
Taking piano lessons as a boy
He brushed the smooth
Ivory keys with the tips of his fingers
Slowly he began to plunk out a song
Jingle bells
He hummed along softly
Happy for the distraction

With each note
The world around him melted away
Visions of gingerbread men
And white Christmas’s filled his head

At that moment
He was home
Surrounded by family
His heart filled with hope
Awaiting the joys
Of tomorrow