small money

 

"small money"

 


He shakes the coins in his pocket
confirming the day
retains its listening ear.

 

Bronze and silver pieces
clink their small weather 
—astronomy at street‑level
     gauging how close two
         strangers might stand.

 

He offers one, not as charity,
but as a way of saying
 you crossed into my  drift of things,
the way a busker’s hat
collects soft decisions
people make when passing.

 

She takes it, not for value,
but for warmth,
— metal carrying
the brief history of a palm
and a longer history
of wanting to be met.

 

The afternoon
moves around them.
Coins settle in her pocket
         tiny agreements
     that the world still
  answers
in small increments.

 

And they part 
—judgement-free
a scriptless,
faint exchange
between two people
testing whether the day
might open up
a little more.

 

 

 

 

 

.





Poetry by arquious The PoetBay support member heart!
Read 99 times
Written on 2026-08-11 at 05:38

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Sameen The PoetBay support member heart!
This is a really lovely piece. The coin as both small money and small connection works beautifully, and the line about astronomy at street level gauging how close two strangers might stand is the kind of image that makes you pause. The exchange never feels preachy or sentimental, which is hard to pull off. The ending is gentle and earned. If anything, the poem is almost too polished in places. Lines like "tiny agreements that the world still answers in small increments" explain the feeling a bit more than necessary. The scene itself already carries that meaning. Still, this is one of the strongest ones here.
2026-08-25


Melinda K Zarate The PoetBay support member heart!
I agree with jim. Your poem touched my heart.
Melinda
2026-08-11


jim The PoetBay support member heart!
This sounds like a random act of kindness, the kind of quiet interchange between two people, humans displaying the best side of humanity—kindness

"tiny agreements
that the world still
answers
in small increments."
2026-08-11