My banker said, "We've millions we can spare,
And you should buy, and sell, and hedge a pair.
To back your CDOs, you just list air."
"Why work?" he said, "Invest and watch them grow,
Those fattish figures on the bottom row.
Just buy, buy, buy. It's stupid not to owe."
He spoke of "seed costs" and "returns to scale"
And how a clever girl could harvest kale
And drink champagne instead of common ale.
He oozed experience and boyish charm.
I thought a little debt would do no harm.
A little fling, then came the law's long arm.
My eyes grew glazed; my visage, wan and bleak.
I thought my jugular had sprung a leak.
The loans fell due, I stammered Urk and Eek.
Nothing helped, although I damned and prayed.
Cruel debt collectors swooped down in a raid.
No angel fluttered nimbly to my aid.
Oh, empty purse! Oh, empty glass and plate!
Oh afterthought, too little and too late.
The ball I stand behind is number eight.
The sweetest talk comes from a sly loan shark.
Share not my fate, oh sister, list and hark:
Flooded markets float no saving ark.
Don't fall for talk of funds and multi-blend
From oily bankers desperate to lend.
That's how a poor girl comes to a bad end.
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This appeared in 2009 when the finance world was falling apart. Published at New Verse News, edited by James Penha.
As you probably know, a diminishing verse, which can be of any length, is composed of rhyming triplets where the second line loses a sound from the first line and the third line loses a sound from the second line, as in "spare, pair, air" and "grow, row, owe", etc.
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So whimsical this is in its message against temptation. Feels chaucerian too, which leads me to say there's sarcasm behind the whimsy rhyme scheme.
I really like the Struwwelpeter-ness of this poece. Nursery rhyme for modern times. Will pass on to our nanny as soon as my portfolio has recovered.
So that's how it happens.
What a pleasure to read verse that works. I'm tempted to write my comment in the same style. But I couldn't, and shouldn't. Fun read!
Liked it a lot. Specially "the ball I stand behind..." line. Good job.
Glad I caught this before it slipped under the feed! *
This is very cool. You managed the rhyme structure very well and I love how the confident stride of the first half crumbles a wee bit as panic sets in. Diminishing indeed...
List and hark! Flooded markets float no saving ark... is simply delightful word play
Very clever and funny. Fave*
After I received your little note I went back and read this again.
On first reading I was taken by the poem itself and did not even realize it was a form. I have a heck of a time trying to write in forms and this is so well done it hurts me to realize my deficiency.
I'm also going to have to begin paying attention to the author's notes. I promise.