In the Next

I appreciated the raise you encouraged me to ask for
Euphoric like hopscotching over an imaginary line
Sensing the end of some bright yellow road
Coming that few more cents closer to lassoing the moon
But back on earth the small change wasn’t enough
Not anywhere near enough for walking the floor
On the lookout for light-fingered patrons
Fortunate me to be the only male employee
Unluckily long enough before Women’s Lib
So the expectation was combating crime was all up to me
To hold some line between right and wrong
Wondering as I watched and waited for the inevitable
If some dangerous character would cut my throat
Over a five-finger-discounted record or cassette
Capturing the crazily wild and volubly foul-mouthed 
Not nowhere near enough of a big change made by such a little raise
Except wondering if I were stepping over the line between
A temporary and permanent life as chief thief catcher
Until the day I died
Being Asian on top of everything else
Making me a target for Midwesterners’ slurs
But a sign of my worth came from you
Telling me how brave I was to collar crooks
Sweatily detaining them huffing and puffing for security guards
Amid chaos and sometimes all hell breaking loose
My value in your eyes
My right hand at the store
You wanted more as well
Finally found it there
A chance meeting of music lovers leading to romance
The ultimate desire of marriage and family escape
Rocketing all the way out of retail humdrum then
And now the huge change for you
Stepping over the line into
A transcendent record store for one in the next
My valuing you and your valuing of me
Always