Can you believe this mess?
I never thought this would happen to me.
I mean you hear about on the news and read about it on the internet,
but to actually have it happen to you is something else.
Someone actually stole my identity.
Ok, first question:
List all items stolen... mmm
Let's see.
My joy, I wrote that down, yes I know that was stolen because at first I had it all the time.
I even gave it some of my joy to others who were lacking and now I couldn't seem to muster any joy at all.
Let me see...
What other items have been stolen?
Oh yes, my desire.
Ok the first one to answer my question can leave, I lied.
That's right, I lied in church, So what.
And look who knows the answer now?
Little Nina.
After she just told me that she didn't know it.
Well, at least I'm not lying by myself...
That's the summer I realized my Grandmother lied to me about Masturbation.
Now you know where I get my lying from.
She said if I discovered my sex and kept playing with it,
I would go blind if I enjoyed it.
This man must've thought I was just crazy or just weird
When I started telling him why I couldn't have sex with him.
I'm not just talking about any sex but casual sex.
Because the look on his face was like someone just
Poured cold water on it.
I have always enjoyed a good magic show.
I mean magicians always fascinated me when I was younger.
There was something about the slight-of-hand that the magicians used
To woo their audience that put me in a trance.
I thought I knew every trick a man could use
Because I learned to look for his distractions.
But this one particular man came along and pulled a fast one on me.
I didn't even know that I was a part of his magic show,
The disappearing act part.
Until he walked away with more my things than his.
Tell me, what would you do and what would you say,
If somebody saw you on a park bench and knocked you off?
What would you feel if you were minding your own business crawling,
And someone knocked the life out of you?
What would you do?
How would you feel?
The same people that used to call me ugly,
Now they were calling me beautiful.
The same ones that used to run from me,
Now they were ever so careful to hold me,
Just to admire my beauty.
The same ones,
Now they were calling me beautiful.
One day the sun rose early, just as the moon was on its way out.
When the Moon noticed how brightly the Sun shown,
It stopped for a moment just to take in a small bit of the Sun's glory.
Then it disappeared.
While the Moon journeyed to its purpose,
It couldn't stop thinking about how the Sun rose with power
That grabbed everyone's attention.
So as the night grew into dawn and the Moon could see the sun rising in the East,
The Moon decided to stay instead of traveling to its purpose.
As soon as the Sun began to rise, it could see that the Moon wasn't moving.
But the Sun could not go back down.
The Moon was not punished that day,
But was told to fulfill its purpose and
Not to listen to those who were jealous of its light during the night.
So, the Moon left the day to the Sun and
Went toward the night to become the Sun's reflection
For those who need light in the dark.
I was too young to understand when I overheard my father telling my mother that
Death was knocking at the door,
Referring to my favorite uncle.
Now the laughter died and uncle Blue seemed to be dying right along with it.
"And God gave me the best brother ever."
My father said as he hugged me.
The tears falling from his eyes.
"Hold on, just hold on", I said to my best friend.
Then I asked, "How much time do you think you have?"
It was always state at every purification ritual,
Stay ready and be mindful of your time.
My parents and their parents believed,
So I always knew that one day I was going to be a part of the same ritual
And received the time that would become an important part of obtaining the glow.
My grandparents waited for this moment,
And they died believing that it would one day come.
They were right, it did, and the glow was finally here.
There was something about Blessing night at church that nobody wanted to miss.
Wednesday and Saturday were Blessing night
And all those expecting a blessing would be down at the church.
I cam one night and watched this man become so upset
That his number wasn't being called on his blessing card.
There were only seven people left in the social hall that night
And we were all waiting and praying.
This man got so angry that everyone was going before him
And He just threw his card down on the floor and walked out frustrated.
When the caller shouted the number 93
Uncle Henry leaped out of his chair and with his hands lifted up shouted,
"Thank you God! Thank you God! Hallelujah! God is still in the blessing business!"
He walked out of the social hall only to go to the car and wait until we all received our blessings too.
It didn't matter if I was first, second, or last
I waited and receive God's blessing.
I looked over at my younger sister
Waiting for her to look me in the eyes.
But she kept her gaze down, looking at her fingernails.
I wanted to so badly to tell her to raise her head and look at me.
I should have never confided in her about my addiction.
Jimmy, don't start asking about her money.
Let her tell us how she got to her addiction.
No I didn't.
I figured if I only didn't in the morning and at night,
It wouldn't be so bad.
But then I found myself sneaking off the the bathroom at work to do it.
You're doing it on the job could have costed you more than you're willing to lose,
If someone saw you.
You know that saying, "When you die your life flashes before your eyes"?
Well when I saw my life flash before my eyes,
I knew at that moment I must be dying.
Oh yes, I know I'm dying now.
The song they were singing sounded very familiar,
Except I couldn't make it out.
I knew one day my wrongdoings were finally going to catch up with me.
I thought I had tricked the law by hiding out and moving
Every time I received a summons to appear in court;
However, the guilt that I had from my criminal past was beginning
To eat away at me from the inside, trying to peek through my outward part.
Riding the elevator up to the 7th floor,
Gave me a moment to start my act of looking like I was guiltless and remoseful.
You never knew who was watching when you were waiting to see the judge.
When I exited the elevator, I wanted to be in character all the way.
When the last one was finished, my head hung low.
I couldn't look anyone in their eyes like I did when I first walked in.
Now I was feeling the guilt after hearing about my crimes against these people.
Toni D. Plourde Born and raised in Los Angeles, California but also lived in Shreveport, Louisiana. She is the mother of Alex and KayCee and holds the joy of being grandma to Kayden, Aaron, and Nate.
Toni graduated from college with a degree in Machine Tool Technology and works as a Journey-Leveled Machinist. Toni found a strong passion for acting and writing at a very young age when she started doing plays in school and writing funny stories. In 2005, she was known as Toni-Tiny, the host of Martial Arts TV, and soon after she went into background acting because she enjoyed the many characters that she got a chance to become.
In 2009, Toni was asked to do a monologue for a Christian conference and she performed "The Butterfly". From that monologue, Toni started writing short stories, which eventually helped her become the author of this book.
Have you ever been called stupid?
Have you ever felt unearned shame?
Have you ever met deception disguised as reception to a fairytale someone's making?
Critically acclaimed author, poetess, and speaker, Toni Plourde, has put together this piece that will blow your mind! The stories in this book are short, impactful, and personal, and characteristic of real-life players, whose names have been changed to protect them from public defamation, and to guard the innocent from the wiles of such devils.
Even within familial and friendly relationships, the fairytale setting gives pause to readers of good advice shunned and falling for the okey doke. You are about to meet Mister Joe, Tyrone, and Tina. You are about to encounter the trickery of simply playing games, doing activities, and befriending monsters and woodland creatures... OH and the garden and that special flower. It was not stupidity; it was pure deception. Beware!
Toni is also a co-author of the bestselling book Life After Divorce: The Journey of Being Healed & Whole. She enjoys hiking, jogging, bike riding, power walking, and sitting on the cliff overlooking the beach where her mind can create more stories that God placed in her heart as she spends time in meditation and prayer.
Love Wins Book Summit September 14th 2024
Every year, Love Wins Publishing Company has a Book Summit for authors, both new & long established, as well as for those that are thinking about writing. This author looks forward to meeting authors and hear their stories come to life.
