Penny Pincher

There was a dime on the floor
of the corner coffeehouse.
I stared down at it
as the cappuccino machine whirred
behind the counter.
I bent and picked up the dime.
People were watching;
I could feel their eyes on my back.
I didn’t look around as I dropped the dime
into the tips jar.
There was a penny on the floor too,
under the edge of the counter.
Heads up, that means good luck.
I left it, passing the luck on
to a stranger who might need it.
Or was it the watching eyes that stopped my hand
from groping for a penny?

The next day another dime rested
on the coffeehouse floor.
I stooped to get it and saw
the penny, still lying
under the edge of the counter.
I picked up the dime,
put it in my pocket,
then reached for the penny
and put that in my pocket too.
The good luck was meant for me, I think.

Originally posted at http://www.appalachianwriters.blogspot.com/