Nickels and Dimes

There is a scene in the movie Before Sunrise in which a Parisian bum writes a poem for the two lead love interests, Jesse and Celine. The poet asked for one word from them and he would write a poem incorporating that word (I believe their word was "milkshake") and asked only that if they liked his work that they give whatever cash value they felt like giving.

I thought that that was a really good, creative way to make a little cash. Instead of just holding a sign or cup, create something and ask for something in return. That's why I'm much more likely to give money to a guy with a guitar on the street rather than the one with a "God Bless You" sign. Maybe I'm a middle-class bitch for that, but that's just how it is for me.

The day before I was to leave for England in late October, I was walking home from work and a 'bum' (is there now a PC term for that as well? I don't know) came up to me on Larimer Square. He asked if I had a minute to spare for him to read me some poetry he had written and like his fictional Parisian counterpart only asked me to give what I felt the reading desevered. I can't remember much about the poem he read to me, except that it really moved me. It was entitled "Nickels and Dimes" and was about walking around the streets asking for money and how some people ignore the homeless and the beggars (myself included at times) and how others do stop to give a little something. I told the wandering poet that I didn't have any nickels or dimes for him, so I gave him a dollar, it was the last one I had in my wallet. I would like to find that poet again and perhaps our paths will cross once more. Until then I hope he finds his nickels and dimes, nickels and dimes.