I get asked for money a lot. I'm sure everybody gets asked for money, but I seem to have a talent for attracting the every-day beggar. I'll kick a buck every now and then depending on the situation. If I see a creative sign that reads, "residentially challenged," or something to that effect, I'll donate out of respect for the creative process. If I see a kitten or a puppy I'm less inclined to give. I've been fooled by that before. I don't support the exploitation of kittens and puppies.
How I handle the straight up beggar depends on their approach. If they're overly aggressive I'll throw up my hands and say "I don't have any money. I'm a poet." Nine times out of ten they'll say, "oh okay," and walk away. It's like an universal understanding of poverty. Sometimes the beggar will size me up to see if I'm a good poet. They'll look at me with a discerning eye to decipher whether I can write or not.
The other night a beggar in front of a Seven Eleven store asked if I could buy him a cup of coffee. There was a slight drizzle in the air and it was three degrees colder than usual, so I bought the guy a cup. I was feeling pretty good about myself. I walked outside to give the man his coffee only to realize that somebody had beat me to it. When I approached the man he was holding a king size cup- way bigger than the cup I had bought. The cup he was holding was from someone with a full-time job and a career. I gave the man the coffee anyway, even though it was just poet size.
