Another poem

The sinking ship

The HMS Commercial sailed off one fateful day
Filled with holiday-makers who were quite happy to pay
For a day’s pleasure cruising upon tropical seas
With factor 19 cream on their faces and their knees.

The captain stood there proudly in his cap with its peak
And neglected to mention that the ship, it had a leak.
Presently they sailed away, far out of sight of land
With a crew who were quite clueless and paid cash in hand.

Well, the morning soon passed by and everything was fine
But shortly after lunchtime the weather went into decline.
The black storm clouds approached and the seas became higher
And the straits they were in were most certainly dire.

With the engine never serviced they could not outrun
The tropical storm that would soon replace the sun.
And cursing beneath his breath, the sad captain declared
That perhaps he really should have got the radio repaired.

The winds closed in so quickly and with terrifying force
And the vessel soon was blown many miles from its course.
In howling winds, lashed by waves and rattled by the thunder
It was not long until the ship started to go under.

Throughout the night those not drowned, they helplessly drifted
The storm began to fade away, the night slowly lifted.
A survivor yelled aloud that he thought that he could see
Something in the distance – the top of a palm tree?

As dawn became morning someone soon spotted sand
For yes, they had drifted within sight of some land.
Staggering from the water, non-believers converted
And prayed thanks to the Lord for this island, deserted.

For this group of survivors things could have been much worse
As the range of their many skills was amply diverse.
A doctor, farmer, cook and an iron ore smelter
A builder who set about making them a shelter.

Not everybody though gave approval to these plans
A man stood up addressing them (whilst rubbing his hands.)
“You people worry far too much of water, food, health.
I’m Guy and I’m a banker and I generate wealth!”

They’d suffered so much trauma and some were still in shock
They believed what he had said and so they did not mock.
Despite the hype and splendour though, some folks’ hearts sank
On the opening day of the New Island Bank.

They soon had made up a mould and minted up some coins
And the banker experienced a warmth in his loins.
The cash was divided with no difference in rank
And the banker used all his share to buy out the bank.

Now the bank was liquid and had cash it could invest
Folks gave Guy their money - as he paid them interest.
And soon the bank had purchased the rights to the little stream
And charged the people a small fee – then he’d keep it clean.

Guy went on to argue, until they all conceded
That capitalism was the system that they needed.
Each person had skills he said, and they ought to be prized
And all working together, well, that should be despised.

So now the population, they all began to trade
Some weaker folks went hungry and some fortunes were made.
The teacher grew quite poor because an education
Has to come second when you’re faced with near starvation.

The farmers sought to get some cash to employ farm hands
So to grow their businesses and cultivate the lands.
The banker, he advised them to allocate some shares
That would pay out in hard cash as they sold all their wares.

The advice of this expert was never rejected
And a brand new Stock Exchange was shortly erected.
Built for nothing, by the bank, with just one condition
All deals that were done would attract commission.

Each transaction had to pay a small fee to the bank.
Some made enormous profits whilst certain others sank.
Win, lose, draw, on every deal, the bank still got its slice
The banker thought to himself, “A bonus, very nice.”

And Guy counted all his cash, in his bank, contente
Whilst all throughout the land the people, they lamented
When you chose to look at it, it did seem rather funny
How they did all the work but the bank got all the money.

One or two of the people then withdrew their cash
And as rumours circulated this turned into a dash.
The bank ceased to pay them claiming that it had run dry
Whilst the nouveau poor simply asked each other “Why?”

“Well of course” the banker said “I do get a few perks.
But if we paid any less our staff would all be berks.
The cash that we held has now all gone out as bonus
And on you, to take good care, was firmly placed the onus.

If you had provided us some better regulation
We wouldn’t now be faced with all of this privation.
The service we provide, it is completely essential
Without a bank, this town would have so little potential.

Just to show you goodwill, here is a solution
Relying upon just a tiny contribution
And no-one here need fear that they will get the axe
Just a small percentage charge, being levied as a tax.”

The people now worked longer, just to earn the same
And the bank took the taxes but none of the blame.
Then just three months later the bonuses were back
No cash left to lend and the farm-hands got the sack.

Hungry, dirty, in despair, the teacher looks on
And wonders to himself how it has gone so wrong.
Guy sits at home, counts his cash and prepares to retire
Oblivious as the people build a mighty bonfire