Smart Money

July 13, 1997, Sunday

MONEY AND BUSINESS/FINANCIAL DESK

Shape-Shifter

By ANDREW SPRUNG

Money is funny:

It used to be gold --

lovely to look at,

heavy to hold.

Then it was paper --

not quite as gracious,

but still pretty awesome

stacked in suitcases.

Nowdays, money

is mainly a blip

stored on a bank's

computer chip.

You swipe a card

and punch a code;

machines subtract

whatever's owed.

What's next?

Maybe a chip in the brain.

Then spending will really

be a pain.