I prided myself on running a clean store.
Never, never did I pocket the proceeds
Of a cash purchase.
Was I not setting a shining example?
When asked, I offered a cautionary tale.
What example would I set for my employees?
What systems would I create
That would allow me to cheat, and forestall others?
Here was both a moral position
And a sound financial one.
But wasn’t there more?
After all, I had been a candy-bar thief.
Nor did I stop my petty thievery at ten,
Twenty or forty.
Mine was a life of crime,
But always in a minor key.
Why had I stopped when I could steal
And avoid taxes?
Wasn’t the answer to be found in moral growth?
No! There was a conceit loose in the equation.
Over the years my business had improved.
Increased sales was another great source of pride.
To underreport my income would damage my graph.
Personal vanity forbid!
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