The House that the Bankers Built

with apologies to Mother Goose

This is the mortgage
That lay on the house that the Bankers built.

This is the bundle
That exposed the mortgage
That lay on the house that the Bankers built.

These are the derivatives
That swelled to bundles
That exposed the mortgage
That lay on the house that the Bankers built.

This is the crook who emptied the nooks
That derived the derivatives
That swelled to bundles
That exposed the mortgage
That lay on the house that the Bankers built.

This is the Bailout that paid for the bonus
That emptied the nooks
That derived the derivatives
That swelled to bundles
That exposed the mortgage
That lay on the house that the Bankers built.

This is the Stimulus owed to the Bank
That paid for the job in lieu of the bonus
That emptied the nooks
That doubled the derivatives
That swelled to bundles
That exposed the mortgage
That lay on the house that the Bankers built.

This is the man in the street tattered and torn
And the nation forlorn who now owes the Bank
That paid for the Stimulus and for the bonus
That emptied the nooks
That doubled the derivatives
That swelled to bundles
That exposed the mortgage
That lay on the house the Bankers built.

This the coin printed by the Bank
Given by the Constitution free
To the nation tattered and torn
Who yet owes the Bank that paid for the job and for the bonus
That emptied the nooks
That doubled the derivatives
That swelled to bundles
That exposed the mortgage
That lay on the house that the Bankers built.

This is the cock crowing to the citizen
Who clasps in his pocket
The coin printed by the Bank
And to the nation tattered and torn
Who now owes the Bank for the job and the bonus
That emptied the nooks
That doubled the derivatives
That swelled to bundles
That exposed the mortgage
That lay on the house that the Bankers built.

This is the call to freedom
Crowed by the cock to the citizen
Who clasps in his palm the coin
Inscribed We The People
And to the nation tattered and torn
Who need not pay to harvest their corn
Or for the bonus that emptied the nooks
That boubled the derivatives
That swelled to bundles
That exposed the mortgage
That lay on the house that the Bankers built.

Will Morgan
March 5, 2009