Friday, March 27, 2009

Low Finance


LOW FINANCE

It seems to me, when somethings 'lost', unless it is destroyed,
It's still around! It hasn't swooped into some aching void.
If I 'lose' my car-keys (as I do) I know they still exist,
Under a cushion, down the drain or outside in the mist.
If someone else has found them and thrown them in a drawer,
They're still my keys; they haven't changed from how they were before.
And, if I never find them, and there are no guarantees,
They still exist, for keys are keys are keys are keys are keys!
They'll never be ghostly items, unable to perform,
A lost key's still a key, my friends; it hasn't changed its form!
So all these mislaid trillions that the world is searching for
Must still exist as trillions just as they were before!
For something 'lost' can't disappear; it must be hanging round
Waiting for someone clever to shout 'Whoopee! They're found!'
Unless, of course, they were never there, but just a great illusion,
And the thought of that just leaves me in a state of mad confusion!
Please write and tell me I'm not mad. I need an explanation!


Were they just a figment of collective imagination?



9 comments:

anthonynorth said...

A clever piece of writing. I've felt like this myself at times.

Gerald (Ackworth born) said...

you ARE mad
we are ALL mad
everything is an illusion
the keys have rusted
turned to dust

Anonymous said...

No your not..funny, your right! I found my car keys once -lost while swimming in a bay with goggles. I will never forget that!

Carol said...

Oh, very good...I so enjoyed this...had to smile while reading...clever photo also.

Anonymous said...

You're not mad. You made me laugh. Thanks. I enjoyed the post very much. I'm glad I landed here.

Unknown said...

Very well done: that should go in The New Yorker. And it raises such financial/philosophical questions. I wonder the same.

Shannon said...

GOOD question... when you find the answer... please SHARE!

Anonymous said...

No there is a key troll out there who steals them and is sitting on a mountain of keys. Applies magic and makes them invisible. 2/3 of them are mine!

Kat said...

Brilliant poem...
If a lost key has to exist
so must the lost trillions..!!!

Here's an explanation I came across :))))

Read it even if it confuses you a bit...things will be clear as you reach the end....

ANECDOTE -

Once there was a little island country. The land of this country was the
tiny island itself. The total money in circulation was 2 dollar as there
were only two pieces of 1 dollar coins circulating around.

1) There were 3 citizens living on this island country. A owned the land. B
and C each owned 1 dollar.

2) B decided to purchase the land from A for 1 dollar. So, A and C now each
own 1 dollar while B owned a piece of land that is worth 1 dollar.


The net asset of the country = 3 dollar.

3) C thought that since there is only one piece of land in the country and
land is non produceable asset, its value must definitely go up. So, he
borrowed 1 dollar from A and together with his own 1 dollar, he bought the
land from B for 2 dollar.

A has a loan to C of 1 dollar, so his net asset is 1 dollar.

B sold his land and got 2 dollar, so his net asset is 2 dollar.

C owned the piece of land worth 2 dollar but with his 1 dollar debt to A,
his net asset is 1 dollar.

The net asset of the country = 4 dollar.

4) A saw that the land he once owned has risen in value. He regretted
selling it. Luckily, he has a 1 dollar loan to C. He then borrowed 2 dollar
from B and and acquired the land back from C for 3 dollar. The payment is by
2 dollar cash (which he borrowed) and cancellation of the 1 dollar loan to
C.
As a result, A now owned a piece of land that is worth 3 dollar. But since
he owed B 2 dollar, his net asset is 1 dollar.

B loaned 2 dollar to A. So his net asset is 2 dollar.

C now has the 2 coins. His net asset is also 2 dollar.

The net asset of the country = 5 dollar. A bubble is building up.

(5) B saw that the value of land kept rising. He also wanted to own the
land. So he bought the land from A for 4 dollar. The payment is by borrowing
2 dollar from C and cancellation of his 2 dollar loan to A.

As a result, A has got his debt cleared and he got the 2 coins. His net
asset is 2 dollar.

B owned a piece of land that is worth 4 dollar but since he has a debt of 2
dollar with C, his net Asset is 2 dollar.

C loaned 2 dollar to B, so his net asset is 2 dollar.

The net asset of the country = 6 dollar. Even though, the country has only
one piece of land and 2 Dollar in circulation.


(6) Everybody has made money and everybody felt happy and prosperous.

(7) One day an evil wind blowed. An evil thought came to C's mind. "Hey,
what if the land price stop going up, how could B repay my loan. There is
only 2 dollar in circulation, I think after all the land that B owns is
worth at most 1 dollar only."

A also thought the same.

(8) Nobody wanted to buy land anymore. In the end, A owns the 2 dollar
coins, his net asset is 2 dollar. B owed C 2 dollar and the land he owned
which he thought worth 4 dollar is now 1 dollar. His net asset become -1
dollar.

C has a loan of 2 dollar to B. But it is a bad debt. Although his net asset
is still 2 dollar, his Heart is palpitating.

The net asset of the country = 3 dollar again.

Who has stolen the 3 dollar from the country ?
Of course, before the bubble burst B thought his land worth 4 dollar.
Actually, right before the collapse, the net asset of the country was 6
dollar in paper. his net asset is still 2 dollar, his heart is palpitating.

The net asset of the country = 3 dollar again.

(9) B had no choice but to declare bankruptcy. C as to relinquish his 2
dollar bad debt to B but in return he acquired the land which is worth 1
dollar now.

A owns the 2 coins, his net asset is 2 dollar. B is bankrupt, his net asset
is 0 dollar. ( B lost everything ) C got no choice but end up with a land
worth only 1 dollar (C lost one dollar) The net asset of the country = 3
dollar.