2 Candy Bars and A Bag of Chips

He stole from her store at least once a week.
She figured he must be hungry.  
She let him go time after time.  
Didn't want to ruin his young life by calling  
the cops. It was only candy.  
 
 
Fast forward 15 years and 100 miles away
her son is car-jacked and killed.  
 
She looked over her sons body and weept.
 
The police had the killer.  
She was told his name. It felt familiar.
 
She went home and cried and then a flash of  
light went through her mind and she saw that little
boys face and remembered his name.  
She was filled with hate and rage.  
 
Regret. Why did she keep letting him go?
If she had stopped him then, would her son  
be alive today?  Perhaps the cops could've,
would've scared him straight. She hated herself.
 
 
 
Sometimes our kindness comes back, just not  
in the way we expect.