Morality Checkers

In making his move,
James placed  the ripped yogurt  
 on top of the  
self checkout machine.  
   
James  
accidentally tore the  
aluminum foil top
by carelessly tossing
a cucumber atop it.    
   
He didn't want to  
pay for it,  understandably,
but James didn't want it to  
go to waste, plus, it would be more messy
work for the lady   attending
the self checkout stations,
whom he had made eye contact
already, several times, in his
nervousness about what he
was planning to do.
 
When her back  
was turned,  
 James whisked it into a bag.  
 as he was done paying, and
now loading his items back into the cart.  

She knew    
It was no big deal to her,
if a customer wanted to pilfer some small items,
but she knew, turning to me,  
 
seeing the yogurt was missing  
turned and went back to her station.
What happened next to me,
was a little alarming.

In just two seconds from the time
I had commited my crime,  
A voice filled my ears  
 a low voice,  inquisitive,
it seemed to surround me.
It was coming from behind me
   
"Excuse me, do you have three cents?  
   
I have a habit of being generous,
I opened my wallet, without looking
directly at him and handed him a dollar.

To feed his machine.  
   
As I was leaving the store,
feeling like a good Samaritan,

His woman, who had come back from the
ciggarette and help desk,
He showed the machine to her  
pointing out it needed 3 cents.  
   
I was  angry,.  
 "What scam are you pulling!?".  
I wanted to say.  
I rationalized that he must really be
in one weird relationship,  
if he decides to hide the fact  
that he has a dollar in his pocket.
 
Oh Yes, I had failed  
MY spiritual challenge  
It had wafted thru me  
to him  
thru my dollar
like a leaf in the wind