Chris Stroffolino
Red Tape Sale
You may feel free
to distrust your happiness
with yourself
For choosing
what may very well be
an exemplary action
Like, when finding
one of your cassette tapes
in the bag
Of a friend
who is crashing
on your sofa
But who is out
roaming the town
at present,
You may get angry
at a violation of trust
& take it back
But soon you mellow
“honor among thieves”
& decide to copy it
And place the copy
in his bag without a word
so when he returns
He may not even know
that you have given him
what he thought he stole
And you may tell yourself
it was just his way
of asking for a gift
And run the risk
of feeling too proud
with yourself
As if it is actions like these
that most characterize you
& not quite see
That it was he
who gave
the greater gift.