FIVE AND DIMES

A distinctive shift happens when you steal for yourself

It can be both a good and bad thing,

Maybe some guilt that you did it,

And getting away with it makes you bold as a king.

It was only a week that had passed thought Eva

Since she had taken the locket,

It was kind of scary,

She’d  just slipped it into her pocket

A lot of people were hurting and poor

The thirties were just so hard.

Eva was no exception,

But inside Woolworths did not feel scarred.

It offered a heaven away from the streets

Away from the long soup lines,

Where people held blank expressions

And a little handout was far from sublime.

Woolworths was midway ‘round the corner

Eva’s step was a little bit slow.

Of a sudden, in front of the store,

A haven of plenty inside!  Should she go?

“Return to the scene of the crime,” they all say.

Who could make sense of that?

“But I didn’t really steal it.

I TOOK a locket,” was her caveat.

It was heart-shaped, you know, it pulled you right in,

Once again, in front of the “STUFF,”

Her eyes on a heart-shaped bracelet, 

A match for her locket! This wasn’t gonna’ be tough.

Her eyes glazed over, she’d cased the joint

The bracelet was there in her hand.

It dropped down deep in her pocket,

Deft was her move, quick as “beat the band.”

Simultaneous time: a yell rang out!

Swallowing hard with a terrible thought

She looked around in panic

Though red-handed was she, someone else had been caught.

Two aisles away there were three young boys

Who were running toward the door

“You were snitches, now you’re boosters,

The police ‘r here!” yelled the manager from the floor.

The attention wasn’t on her, now she could breathe

She wiped away sweat and guilt,

As they pushed right past the counter

The baubles and bangles laid there where they spilt.

With all of the jewelry there on the floor,

It was as if it was making a statement

But all Eva could think, “This’d help her!”

Not to be suffered a fatal beratement.

Eva stepped aside, she’d better be gone.

But the police were at the door

Onlookers crowded all over.

It was hard to move across the floor.

The air was tense, the air was thick,

But her ears first time did hear

Sounds from a grand piano

And a mystical voice crooning sweet and clear.

To be continued…

      By Flo Lawrence