Worry Coins
A poem by Jacqueline Jules


Worry Coins

I used to have so many
they jingled in my pocket.

When I was younger,
I spent them one after another,
too often on worries
too tiny to matter
a month beyond the party
that might be canceled
or the package that might
not arrive on time.

Now, after years of spending
carelessly, I find myself
with limited means. Not enough
currency left to fund all that
tossing and turning.

It’s good to be broke,
to empty my pockets
and sleep better at night.


About the Author:

Jacqueline Jules is the author of Manna in the Morning (Kelsay Books, 2021), Itzhak Perlman’s Broken String, winner of the 2016 Helen Kay Chapbook Prize from Evening Street Press, and Smoke at the Pentagon: Poems to Remember (Bushel & Peck, 2023). Her poetry has appeared in over 100 publications. Visit  www.jacquelinejules.com


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