Making Change (a pantoum)

Carissa Brown

When you don’t have any money
you find out who your real friends are.
Pennies are nice, yet worthless as currency
but for making change under five cents.

You find out who your real friends are
if they ignore your patchy faded jeans.
And in making change under five cents
a strange face may become a friend.

If they ignore your patchy faded jeans,
placing more value on manners than looks,
A strange face may become a friend
who will listen to complaints and cries,

placing more value on manners than looks.
Pennies look nice, yet are worthless as currency.
Who will listen to complaints and cries
when you don’t have any money?