By Mike Smolarek

The quarter bounces on the bottom of the jar

an echo shooting up

as the jar slowly fills.

The jar sits ready to be dumped

by an eager young banker

counting the pennies on a rainy day.

Once clear, now covered with a film of dirt

the mountain of change sits

in the old jar once filled with pasta sauce.

The coins are added slowly

the collection climbing the sides

until emptied

to buy the baseball cards piled next to it.

It fills again

shiny nickels reflecting the sun's rays

that spotlights the jar

on the desk.