The Cookie Thief

A woman was waiting at an airport one night With several long hours before her flight She hunted for a book in the airport shop Bought a bag of cookies and found a place to drop

She was engrossed in her book but happened to see That the man beside her as bold as could be Grabbed a cookie or two from the bag between Which she tried to ignore to avoid a scene

She munched cookies and watched the clock As this gutsy cookie thief diminished her stock She was getting more irritated as the minutes ticked by Thinking "If I wasn't so nice I'd blacken his eye"

With each cookie she took he took one too And when only one was left she wondered what he'd do With a smile on his face and a nervous laugh

He took the last cookie and broke it in half He offered her half as he ate the other She snatched it from him and thought "Oh brother This guy has some nerve and he's also rude Why he didn't even show any gratitude"

She had never known when she had been so galled And sighed with relief when her flight was called She gathered her belongings and headed for the gate Refusing to look back at the thieving ingrate

She boarded the plane and sank in her seat Then sought her book which was almost complete As she reached in her baggage she gasped with surprise There was her bag of cookies in front of her eyes

"If mine are here" she moaned with despair "Then the others were his and he tried to share" "Too late to apologize she realized with grief" That she was the rude one, the ingrate, the thief.

~Valrie Cox