Devils or Angels (The Collection)

By Dan Roberson

Enter my world where demons and angels cross borders and change identities, where tricks can happen from either side, and where angels can be mean and devils can be nice. It is a place where love and hate exist side by side. Enter and make your choices.
Each of us during our lifetime encounters angels and demons. There is little to distinguish the two because demons and/or angels can be in the form of adult or child, man or woman, a healthy person or a disabled one. It is their actions that finally show which side of the spiritual battle theyre on.

During a humans lifetime he/she makes choices which determine which group he is allied with. Should the choices be vile or consistently bad then that individual might be classified a demon. If he or she makes more good choices he might be considered an angel.

In the eyes of other humans what kind of actions would make a person an angel or a demon? Does it take a preponderance of actions to decide the case? If a person makes a terrible mistake is she a demon for the rest of her life or is it merely a learning experience? If one great action is done is the performer then considered an angel?
Perhaps it is not the action but the motive behind the action that determines whether a person is considered a devil or angel. In the collection, Demons or Angels, choices are being made. The reader should decide whether each character is good or evil at the conclusion of the story. Is there enough evidence to convict him or her of being a demon or angel? Behind each character the motives to do good or evil exists. Should his/her slate be wiped clean if she/he does an opposing action of equal value?

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Oct 19, 2012
• ISBN: 9781475955651

Dan Roberson

I write to understand myself by putting past events into their proper perspective. My writing contains facts as I see them. Without some truth to build a foundation, I cannot build walls to house my viewpoint. Each story or poem contains real-life situations that have been gleaned from my own life. I cannot ignore the truth about characters, places, or situations, but my stories, however fantastic they seem, are parts of my real world. Frequently, I am a reporter dispensing information and not a writer relying on inspiration.

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Copyright © 2012 by Dan Roberson.

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ISBN: 978-1-4759-5563-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4759-5565-1 (ebk)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2012919118

iUniverse rev. date: 10/08/2012

Table of Contents

She Had Love to Give Away

A Crooked Man

We Built a House

Condemned for Loving Too Much

Two Storms Raged

Caution!

Give Me Time to Earn My Wings

The Choice

The Preacher and the Music Director’s Wife

Into a Cold Hell

Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire!

Sweaty and Dirty

The Coin

Devils or Angels Collection

Sometimes we face those who are not bone and flesh;

Spaces are between worlds that don’t quite mesh.

We find life is sometimes not real like it seems,

And we can only believe what is in our dreams.

She Had Love

to Give Away

From her window she watched

As he strolled by each day,

Waiting until he was out of sight

Before she would lie down and pray.

Oh, dear Lord, she would say,

"He got to me again today.

If I don’t change how I think,

I won’t be going heaven’s way."

Warmth that radiated inside

As she studied his manly chest—

That warmth became a raging fire

As she thought about all the rest.

Her dreams in the dark were of him;

She could feel his arms locked tight.

She had no doubts; she was totally sure

She would share her bed one night.

As she stared from her window,

One day he glanced back and saw

Her gaze raking over him wild and free,

Her thoughts beyond the law.

Her intense longing was clear to see.

What could he do but turn around?

With open arms she welcomed him;

They embraced without one sound.

Clothing could not keep them apart;

Soon it was skin against skin.

And all the passion stored away

Exploded and was released within.

They spent that day in passion’s throes,

Navigators with much to explore.

No matter which direction either went,

Their bodies begged for more.

Happy, content, and physically spent,

He left her without a good-bye.

He walked bravely into a cold world

Where men are not supposed to cry.

For she had stirred the flames

Of a heart long grown cold

And brought it to life again,

For his heart needed someone to hold.

She watched him saunter away;

Every step showed confidence and spring.

As he approached, men stepped aside,

For he strode with the confidence of a king.

Because of the abundance in her heart,

Just once she had forgotten her role.

She found a man who had no love

And gave him a heart of gold.

An angel turned his heart around,

And he lost his worries and woes;

For one day love reigned supreme,

Leaving him room to grow.

Ambition is fueled by inner fires,

Where dreams give out what the heart desires.

Whether based on greed or wanting more,

The future is waiting on a distant shore.

A Crooked Man

The birth was normal, but somehow the baby was strangely misshapen. One leg was shorter than the other, and he twisted a bit to one side. He’s a crooked little fellow, the doctor muttered.

Oh, no, he’s beautiful, his mother insisted. I’m so proud of him! And to prove how much she loved her baby, she gave him a strange name, as mothers sometimes do.

Jack My Love Bartholomew, the nurse wrote on the chart.

Are you sure you want to give this boy a strange name like that? He’s going to have a hard enough time in the world.

His mom was insistent, and the name stayed. Of course, in his early years Jack’s full name was rarely used. Only when his mother was mad did she call him Jack My Love Bartholomew, and then there were other names liberally sprinkled in.

When Jack entered school, the situation changed. The kids taunted him because of his crooked way of smiling and the way he walked. His name became a special target, and he learned to endure the bullies and their little slaves. Jack always thought of the helpers as slaves because they were afraid to challenge any decision made. Suggestions from bullies were commands to be carried out, and their helpers were ruthless in their efforts to please.

Jack My Love, do this. Jack My Love, do that. Jack grew tired of hearing his name in jest, and sometimes he ignored the taunting or refused to answer to anything other than Jack.

In high school he began getting recognition in sports as an excellent runner. As a running back in football, his slants and cutbacks were different. His crooked way of running gave him unusual opportunities, and in games his teammates blocked everyone standing because they weren’t sure which direction Jack was going. Jack always claimed it was the excellent blocking that accounted for their perfect seasons. His teammates were proud to get recognition, but in return they always voted for Jack as being the most valuable player.

In cross-country and track he became known for his crooked miles. His opponents and some of