The outlook wasn’t brilliant for the stock exchange that day.
A fear and dread and panic which was barely held at bay
had settled down upon the minds of traders one and all
as would an an airline passenger sensing the final fall.

The sub-prime mess and credit crunch made buzzwords of the year
and left the city wondering if none were left to steer
this plane from its collision course and economic doom–
thankless responsibility banks wished not to assume.

For Smith declared self-interest, three centuries ago,
would drive efficiencies of scale and all markets would grow.
But Nash exposed a caveat when life mimics a game–
the optimal for self and group are not one and the same.

Still banks too slow to change their ways remained stubborn at heart.
From methods which had made them rich they wished not to depart.
They took Smith’s words at face value ignoring Nash’s heed,
and stabbed each other in the back, control they could not cede.

In time the crisis worsened and they bled each other dry.
Fell first the haughty Bear, sending economies awry.
The Fed and US Treasury saw stress shocks if it sank,
and gave the common tax-payer the burden of the bank.

But new disaster brewed from whence it started at the first
The GSEs of Mae and Mac had all fearing the worst
Again the servants Hank and Ben stepped in to quell the storm–
decisions left all wondering if such was the new norm.

Now heads of banks throughout the land gathered before the dawn,
as Lehman leaned upon the block, its lines of credit drawn.
And Hank and Ben praised mice and men attempting to instill
a sureness in a market now broken by their own will.

Discussions raged throughout the day till wee hours of night
while Dick Fuld crossed his fingers hoping Lehman dodged the plight
of Bear and Fannie, Freddie too, their chairmans in a fit,
when Hank gave them large parachutes but no office to sit.

And so all discourse halted on a bright September morn.
The sun shined down upon the kings — a new age had been born.
With bliss woke people young and old, of this there is no doubt,
but there is no joy on Wall Street–mighty Lehman has struck out.