The Invitation Poem by Sandra Martyres

'Come into my parlour'
Said the banker to his customer
'Help yourself to some organic green tea
We believe in staying healthy
And keeping our clients that way too
No extra sweetners for our loans
In case you borrow too much
No additional interest on your deposits
We do not like sharing too much our profits
We need to pump them back as capital
So that the regulators have time to chill'

'I truly appreciate your hospitality'
Said the customer to his banker
'But I just don't seem to get it right
I thought that the Government
Had just bailed you guys out with
Pots of taxpayers money to help you
Lend us cheaper money, to increase demand
So as to set the Industry wheels back in motion
And drive the cruel spectre of recession away
You were supposed to usher in a new era of prosperity
But you seem to be doing just the contrary'

'Well, well well my dear revered client'
Said the banker to his customer
' I can see you are just another poor victim
Who chooses to place implicit faith in the press
Those gentlemen love to identify a fall guy
And then pursue him with a sense of glee
Their axe has now fallen on the banking fraternity
While we may have earned fat salaries and bonuses
Remember the economy too thrived and
With it the nation's GDP, but this is really the past
You know as well as I do that happy times rarely last
So let's get down to the business you came to discuss'