Daily Draw: 5 of Coins
The 5 of Coins shows an elderly beggar crossing the street, a begging bowl in hand. Huddled at his feet is a child, with another beggar - possibly a woman - sitting nearby, a bowl in her lap. The streets are cobblestones and there are puddles near the curb. To either side are buildings - one with chimney smoke rise and the other with a shop sign in front and three well dressed people are seen from behind - ignoring us and the beggars. The sun is setting below the walls at the end of the street, casting a rosy glow on the otherwise grey scene.
Five coins are suspended overhead alone with four leaves dividing them into quadrants with the extra coin in the center.
In this version of the card, that fact that help is available but electing not to help is made very plain. The card encourages thinking not only of the subject's lack... but of the ways in which the subject may be ignoring the lack of those around them. It's a sad picture of lack in the middle of a relatively abundant society and the class distinctions here are poignantly illustrated.
Today, I'm the beggar - the blessed AC I praised yesterday stopped working yesterday afternoon as the heat and humidity climbed into the upper 90s, and just as it went with trying to get a plumber over, my landlady is both very slow to respond to my calls for help, but can't give me even a vague idea of when someone might be over to fix it.
I sent the kids over to friends and encouraged them to stay away as much as possible, while I melted (and continue to melt), hoping perhaps she'd get someone over today. No such luck.
Humidity causes flares and I feel sick, but other than jumping into a cool shower when I can't take anymore (something I've done a couple times today), there is nothing to do but hold out my beggar's bowl and hope that she realizes this isn't a trivial request. Fun.
Five coins are suspended overhead alone with four leaves dividing them into quadrants with the extra coin in the center.
In this version of the card, that fact that help is available but electing not to help is made very plain. The card encourages thinking not only of the subject's lack... but of the ways in which the subject may be ignoring the lack of those around them. It's a sad picture of lack in the middle of a relatively abundant society and the class distinctions here are poignantly illustrated.
Today, I'm the beggar - the blessed AC I praised yesterday stopped working yesterday afternoon as the heat and humidity climbed into the upper 90s, and just as it went with trying to get a plumber over, my landlady is both very slow to respond to my calls for help, but can't give me even a vague idea of when someone might be over to fix it.
I sent the kids over to friends and encouraged them to stay away as much as possible, while I melted (and continue to melt), hoping perhaps she'd get someone over today. No such luck.
Humidity causes flares and I feel sick, but other than jumping into a cool shower when I can't take anymore (something I've done a couple times today), there is nothing to do but hold out my beggar's bowl and hope that she realizes this isn't a trivial request. Fun.
Comments