Toy Soldier Blues
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TITLE (EDIT)
Toy Soldier Blues |
DESCRIPTION
coming of age
[929 words] |
TITLE KEYWORD
Drama |
AUTHOR
Richard Evans |
ABOUT
THE AUTHOR
I write for it is the light at the end of my tunnel.
[February 2024] |
AUTHOR'S OTHER TITLES (179)
A Farewell To Lovely (Poetry) the page strikes back [84 words] [Fable]
A Key For A Maiden (Poetry) good to see you again- [50 words]
A Little Blue (Songs) love can be like a roulette wheel- [96 words]
A Man Ain't A Noun (Songs) words of wisdom- [121 words]
A Sense Of Christmas (Poetry) the voice of crooners- [58 words] [Biography]
A Shoulder To Cry On (Songs) one of the many sides of love- [102 words] [Relationships]
Acquisition Of A Fresh Perspective (Poetry) a guy's perspective- [61 words] [Relationships]
Al Stone And The .22 Caliber Meltdown (Poetry) adolescence- [157 words] [Thriller]
All I Wanna' Do Is You (Songs) I propose a toast to the one I love most- [87 words]
All You Need Is A Melody (Songs) open your heart and your ears- [106 words]
Alma (Poetry) love and hate- [23 words] [Spiritual]
Alongside Salvation (Poetry) I am a seed- [87 words] [Spiritual]
Althea (Songs) your dream came by today- [62 words]
And Now The Twilight (Poetry) mother and child- [359 words]
Angel Behind Lonely Eyes (Songs) love in an unusual place- [122 words] [Romance]
Angels Of Sunset (Poetry) Los Angeles Hollywood [37 words] [Mind]
Applause (Poetry) a performance [22 words]
August Eleventh (Poetry) into the abyss- [48 words] [Biography]
Awakenings (Poetry) present and past- [78 words]
Baby Love (Poetry) Me and T, again- [54 words] [Romance]
Bald Head Woman (Songs) blues- [137 words]
Beat Me (Songs) the chance of a lifetime- [319 words] [Motivational]
Because Of Love (Songs) let your actions speak- [108 words]
Been Down So Long (Songs) when these blues hit ya' boy- [96 words]
Behind Lonely Eyes (Songs) love in an unusual place- [86 words]
Birmingham And Beyond (Poetry) mightier than the sword- [119 words] [History]
Bliss (Poetry) for the better [15 words] [Romance]
Bookshelf (Poetry) travel- [67 words] [Travel]
Burn (Songs) she lit a deadly spark- [162 words]
Bust (Poetry) the end of innocence- [86 words] [Biography]
Call From My Angel (Poetry) Trina- [47 words] [Romance]
Can You Hear Me (Poetry) conversing with Charlie- [16 words] [Mind]
Can't Understand Why (Songs) a fork in the road- [115 words]
Catch Them Dice (Poetry) loan me five dollars- [111 words] [Fable]
Change Me (Songs) I love how you make me feel- [95 words] [Romance]
Coda (Poetry) sacrifice- [8 words] [Humor]
Common Threads (Poetry) loss of humanity [70 words]
Confessions (Poetry) death bed- [42 words] [Spiritual]
Cryin' Over You (Songs) blues- [111 words] [Romance]
Divinity 6 (Poetry) Christmas [40 words] [Self-Help]
Do You Have Time For Love (Songs) look before you leap- [114 words]
Don't Forget About Me (Songs) is my love more to you than a memory- [131 words]
Don't Forget To Breath (Poetry) a simple truth [63 words] [Relationships]
Doodlebug (Poetry) light of my life- [100 words] [Spiritual]
Down This Road (Poetry) a simple yearning- [40 words] [Romance]
Eligibility Factor (Poetry) the human spirit [138 words] [Spiritual]
Envy (Poetry) lesson on the wall- [72 words] [Motivational]
Essence (Poetry) intertwined like shoestrings- [35 words] [Romance]
Eternal Muse (Poetry) rhythms of life- [83 words] [Spiritual]
Everytime We Make Love (Songs) it's better than the last time- [98 words] [Romance]
Fadin' Away (Songs) here I go again- [77 words] [Romance]
Fame (Poetry) a lot to say- [47 words] [Mind]
Far Into The Night (Poetry) boyhood dreams- [45 words] [Fable]
Feel Or Die (Poetry) a golden oppurtunity- [29 words]
Feel So Right (Songs) don't wanna' ruckus girl- [118 words] [Romance]
Foregiveness (Poetry) mother can play- [97 words] [Biography]
Fourteen Hundred Miles (Songs) I saw your face in the road- [108 words] [Relationships]
Fruit Cake (Poetry) Aunt Zone- [45 words] [Biography]
Genome Blues (Songs) do they know what they have done- [126 words]
Greeting Card (Poetry) you are what you read- [164 words]
He Caught Me High (Poetry) father and son- [133 words] [Horror]
Heavenly (Poetry) Where I'm from- [23 words] [Mind]
Here And Now (Poetry) blessings- [32 words] [Motivational]
Hopefully (Poetry) instead I reach for a sacrifice- [37 words] [Romance]
I Can Play The Blues (Songs) I checked out what they do- [91 words]
I Can't Get Started (Songs) the bottom line what's beneath your skin- [129 words]
I Did Wrong For You Baby (Songs) I promise you you're gonna' bleed- [146 words] [Drama]
I Go In Love (Songs) damn you look great- [100 words]
I Left Cause You Ain't Right (Songs) hot and cold- [124 words]
I Reserve The Right To Be Me (Poetry) a revelation of character- [126 words] [Spiritual]
I Think I'm Gonna' Change (Poetry) reinvention [25 words] [Mind]
I Want You To Stay (Songs) it's been a year since I fell for those eyes- [66 words] [Romance]
I'll Be Here When You Get Through (Poetry) love, love, love [111 words] [Relationships]
I'm Givin' Ninety (Songs) you're givin' ten- [125 words] [Relationships]
I'm Gonna' Hold On (Songs) Those who give can never die- [93 words]
In Between (Songs) time and space they seperate- [107 words]
In Error Of Judgement (Poetry) racial relations [89 words] [Spiritual]
In Search Of The Pejorative (Poetry) Larry Elder is a piece of shit- [97 words] [Mind]
In The Game For The Fame (Songs) This song speaks of the challenges faced by anyone in the public eye. [93 words]
Infinity 7 (Poetry) a never ending story- [40 words] [History]
Intimate (Songs) I wouldn't mind spending time with you- [122 words]
Itinerant Blues (Poetry) America- [42 words] [History]
Itty Bitty Pretty Brown Eyes (Songs) Leaving the nest! [112 words]
Jealous Kind (Songs) dancin' on a killin' floor- [84 words] [Relationships]
Jennifer (Poetry) I write for it is the light at the end of my tunnel- [37 words] [Relationships]
Juju (Poetry) middle child- [102 words] [Relationships]
Karyngton (Poetry) acrostic Karyngton- [57 words] [Relationships]
Keep Your Daddy At Home (Songs) simple and to the point- [137 words]
Knees And Elbows (Songs) - [100 words] [Romance]
Let Us Pray (Poetry) a revelation of character- [53 words] [Spiritual]
Let 'em Know Ya' Been Here (Songs) The shield of love- [111 words]
Light In The Dark (Poetry) a switch to flip- [139 words] [Romance]
Like A Rock Star (Songs) wisdom [114 words] [Fable]
Look What You Gave Me (Songs) may the chain never be broken- [99 words]
Lost In Your Arms (Poetry) for better or worse- [117 words] [Spiritual]
Love Is Like A Rose (Songs) it's beautiful when it blooms- [91 words] [Romance]
Love Walked In The Room (Songs) Gershwinistic- [97 words]
Me And Miss Lilly (Poetry) sonnet [108 words] [Art]
Me And The Blues (Songs) sittin' and sippin' [137 words] [Romance]
Miss Hunter's Tree (Poetry) as the world turns- [109 words] [Fable]
Movin' On (Lament) (Songs) what I'm 'bout to say won't take long- [93 words]
My Mind Wants Peace (Songs) is there an answer should I try love- [217 words]
My Momma Make Me Mad (Poetry) now, now- [64 words] [Fable]
My Name Is Baby (Songs) what goes on here stays here- [122 words]
Native Son (Songs) The closer to home the more it hurts- [83 words]
No End In Sight (Songs) me and my baby- [118 words]
Nuthin' For Christmas (Songs) yuletide tidings- [83 words]
On The Day Duck Died (Poetry) rest in peace- [411 words] [Relationships]
On The Real (Poetry) black in America- [24 words]
Panties On The Floor (Songs) stop trippin' girl- [101 words] [Erotic]
Party Over Here (Poetry) love in the 2013- [98 words]
Paycheck (Poetry) hey you [75 words]
Peace Within (Poetry) a nightmare [222 words] [Mind]
Please Shine Your Light (Songs) a revelation- [110 words]
Plot (Poetry) write is right- [100 words]
Poetics (Poetry) sometimes we must bleed- [21 words]
Pour Me Some Country (Songs) country funk- [135 words]
Precious Precious (Poetry) take care of business when you're young- [74 words] [Motivational]
Prick (Poetry) the devil will bury you for free- [61 words] [Drama]
Priority (Songs) folk rock- [220 words]
Profile In Beauty (Poetry) missed opportunity- [96 words]
Rage Of Innocence (Poetry) poet? [49 words] [Literary Fiction]
Redhaired Radio (Poetry) national pastime- [22 words] [Motivational]
Rejoice (Songs) the lord he heard my plea- [63 words] [Spiritual]
Requiem For Joey (Poetry) yes he is busy- [82 words]
Return To A Muse (Poetry) two ships passing in the night [89 words] [Romance]
September's Song (Poetry) how I love the fall- [50 words] [Nature]
Shake (Poetry) real shit- [75 words] [Biography]
Shall We Dance (Poetry) for better or worse- [49 words] [Romance]
She Moved Upstairs (Poetry) to a sweet little lady- [137 words] [Relationships]
Shindy With Pops (Poetry) poetry [16 words] [Relationships]
Shyy (Poetry) angst- [47 words] [Biography]
Side By Side (Songs) we vowed to love to love unitl we die- [129 words]
Sixteen Days (Poetry) Jimi and Janis- [85 words] [Spiritual]
So In Effect (Songs) complex is in the house- [125 words]
Solitaire (Alma's Blues) (Songs) you preach from your tableau- [136 words] [Spiritual]
Something For Your Heartache (Songs) this time I want to be more than friends- [167 words]
Spirits Within (Poetry) cause and effect- [57 words]
Stone (Poetry) lust fires away- [96 words] [Erotic]
Strange Change (Songs) I used to be a player 'til I met this girl- [135 words]
Style (Songs) choose not to be like anyone- [101 words]
Such A Pretty Bow (Poetry) A night to remember- [106 words]
Sugar Daddy Blues (Songs) keep yo' daddy at home- [132 words] [Romance]
Sweet To Me (Give Me Plenty Of Lovin) (Songs) pour a little syrup on me- [99 words] [Romance]
Take It Off (Songs) life is no fun when you're alone- [76 words] [Motivational]
Tear My Clothes Off Tonight (Songs) a new attitude- [108 words] [Self-Help]
The Aftermath Of O (Poetry) divorce' [99 words] [Biography]
The Ballad Of Ricky Muse (Poetry) poetry anyone? [57 words] [Biography]
The Beauty Inside Us All (Songs) the lesson learned- [180 words]
The Best Thing I Ever Had (Songs) A love of the highest order! [133 words]
The Immortal Light Of Being (Poetry) choose your weapons- [207 words] [Drama]
The Lark (Poetry) a bird for words to fly on- [50 words] [Fable]
The Last Time I Was A Fool (Songs) blues- [104 words]
The Last Will And Testament Of Jacques Larue (Poetry) looking back [72 words] [Spiritual]
The Martyr (Poetry) weep when there are no more- [55 words] [Fable]
The Specter (Poetry) blues for Trayvon- [68 words]
The System (Charlie's Song) (Songs) irony sweet irony [221 words] [Crime]
The Wake (Poetry) for daddy- [60 words] [Spiritual]
The Way You Touch (Songs) the way it should be- [122 words] [Romance]
There Are No Losers Here Today (Songs) the big picture- [98 words]
There Goes A Woman (Songs) A song about every woman a man ever loved- [112 words]
These Sacks (Poetry) wit and wisdom- [75 words] [Fable]
Today I Stopped Cryin' Over You (Songs) love can be cruel- [88 words]
Trip (Poetry) 1976 - the night I fell in love [41 words] [Biography]
True Blues (Poetry) Freedom- [20 words] [Motivational]
Two Bars Of Candy (Poetry) food for thought- [91 words]
Two Percent Freak (Screenplays) the other ninety eight's a gentlman- [1,521 words] [Comedy]
Two Percent Freak (Song) (Songs) the other ninety eight's a lady- [171 words] [Erotic]
Untitled 01 (Screenplays) challenge your fears- [2,188 words] [Mystery]
Vexation In The Garden (Poetry) global warming- [114 words] [Nature]
Waiting (Milestones) (Poetry) a life not lived- [267 words]
What About America (Songs) a call to arms- [82 words]
Who (Poetry) forbidden fruit- [26 words] [Erotic]
Why You Why Me (Poetry) the child stares and wonders- [138 words] [Biography]
Wild Tuna (Poetry) empathy should be our cry- [108 words] [Spiritual]
With All My Love (Songs) I wish you felt the same- [98 words]
Your Body's In Motion (Songs) a universal language- [112 words] [Romance]
You're Always A Winner To Me (Songs) you always try hard someday you'll go far- [105 words]
Yummy's Theme (Poetry) ya' betta' run son- [329 words]
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Toy Soldier Blues
Richard Evans
It's the month of August 1965, in a house in the suburbs of Los Angeles County, California known as South Central. School is out for summer vacation and six-year-old Eddie Charles sits in his bedroom indulging in his favorite past time. Playing with his toy soldier doll.
Eddie retrieves some plastic cups from his mother's cupboard as well as some old dolls she has saved from her youth. Eddie stacks the cups on top of each other to form a wall. He then gets several pairs of his father's socks, balls them up and place's pencils in them so the pencils stick straight up in the air. He dubs these creations the evil sock people. His mother's dolls are positioned behind the wall of cups. They are the damsels in distress whom the toy soldier would give his very life to defend. The toy soldier fires his rifle at the evil sock people. Eddie knocks the sock people over by flicking them with his finger signaling their demise. Every action is punctuated with dialogue and sound effects. As the last of the evil sock people is vanquished Eddie simulates a celebration including cheers from the damsels. The toy soldier is a hero, just the way Eddie wants it. Eddie decides to perform this scenario again when he hears his father, who has been in the living room watching television, yell several four-letter expletives. Eddie peers out his bedroom door as his mother comes out the kitchen where she had been preparing dinner. The picture on the television shows people fighting with police. The Watts riots have begun. Eddie's father shakes his head in disgust. Eddie closes his door and goes back to what he was doing.
The next day Eddie, his older brother James and Eddies best friend Pookie who lives next door are racing Popsicle sticks along the street curb. A neighbor's water hose provides the current they need to make the different colored sticks go. The boys are completely into what they are doing. The race is a virtual dead heat as they slowly walk down to the end of their block that merges with a major thoroughfare. Suddenly a deep, stern southern accent stops them in their tracks. A national guardsman in full military regalia complete with an M-16 rifle and bayonet strapped over his shoulder just like Eddie's toy soldier doll towers over them. James and Pookie take two steps away from this imposing figure but Eddie doesn't move. He quickly examines the canteen on the soldier's waste, his shiny boots, his helmet, his pistol. The only thing that was different about this soldier was the scowl on his face. Eddie sensed this immediately. Heroes don't act like this he thought. Several men in a military vehicle pulled up and the soldier went over to speak with them. Eddie's mother who had come outside called for the boys to come home. That night Eddie sat in his room but he did not play with his toy soldier. Instead he sat and stared at the doll thinking, for hours. Finally Eddie's mother entered his room. She sensed that something was wrong. She hugged her son and told him that he and his brother would be leaving with their father to run an errand. Eddie's father drove a brand new Studebaker that had an enormous backseat. On their way back from the errand Eddie and his brother were wrestling in the backseat. Eddie's father kept telling them to behave.
They came to an intersection not far from their home when two police cars and an ambulance sped by. The sound of glass breaking and screaming became more pronounced. Eddie smelled smoke and he and his brother became scared. Eddie's father ordered his sons to get down. A policeman ran up to their car and ordered Eddie's father to turn around but the traffic was so congested he couldn't do anything but go forward. Eddie peered up from the backseat and saw a man with a bottle of fire in his hand throw the bottle into a building. Directly in front of them, two national guardsmen were holding a man and screaming at him. The man broke free and tried to run when one of the national guardsmen struck the man in the back with the but of his rifle. The soldier turned and looked directly into Eddie's eyes. Eddie had seen those eyes before. It was the soldier on the corner down from their home. Eddie joined his brother on the floor of the backseat. Eddie's father finally saw an opening and shot down a side street to avoid the melee. Eddie and his brother were terrified. Eddie's father cursed the soldiers and used the words honky and pigs as he made his way back home.
Several days had passed since then. Eddie's father was sitting in the living room watching television. The news was showing footage of the rioting in their neighborhood. According to the newsman order had been restored. Eddie sits next to his father who puts his arm around his son. They're both lost in their own thoughts, staring blankly at the television. Eddie's mother enters the room and tells them both to get ready for supper. Eddie heads to his room. His toy soldier sits on top the dresser drawer. Eddie walks over and takes the toy soldier off the dresser. He stares at it briefly. He opens the door to his closet and puts the toy soldier in a trunk and closes it. He heads to the kitchen to join his family.
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COPYRIGHT NOTICE
© 2007 Richard Evans |
STORYMANIA PUBLICATION DATE
December 2023 |
NUMBER OF TIMES TITLE VIEWED
2131
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