A term frequently touted
By the now over-zealous
Regulators, the world over
An easy excuse for them
To explain the spawning of
Crooks like Bernie Madoff
In the developed world
And of course closer home
The crooks of yester years
Not forgetting the present
Mother of all financial crises
Caused by the Sub-prime excesses
The question on everyone's mind
- the exact meaning of systemic risk
Well it is actually a poor reflection
On a benign regulatory regime
That is known to turn a Nelson’s eye
As long as the economy is in fine fettle
With the stock markets booming
It is during such heady days that
The market watch dogs are often
Caught napping at the wheel,
The global arena soon becomes
A very fertile ground for the more
Imaginative financial players
Some get into a huddle while
Others act independently
And come up with ingenious ideas
To keep the market befuddled
Until they grab the first rich pickings
And then make a sly and unsung exit
By the time the authorities react
The worst has already happened
Several investors who have been
Relieved of their earnings or fortunes
Cry foul and ring the alarm bells
It is then that the blame game starts
Each side keeps berating the other, but
Ultimately the hammer falls on the system
And the result is filed away as a systemic risk
To be addressed by the now fully awake
Regulators! !
Sandra Martyres
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/systemic-risk/
