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we gathered in a lighted tower
of a lower Manhattan promontory
seminarians listen
to discursive ramblings
of bank industry experts
on the finer points of
Basel II
Tier Three
op risk

towards a better better
best practice
we pique our ears to hear
the critical
dispassionate annunciations
of expert expertise

a panel of practitioners
a panoply of knowledge
networking opportunities
and hands on insight
we are granted
institutional affirmation
nesting warmly
in a corporate cocoon
13 flights up
off West Street
10 bucks a seat
30 for non-members

we settle
in soulless white rooms
divided by long
horizontal wall panels
bleached of all humanity
visualizing phantasmagoric vistas
of changing regulatory landscapes
in strait backed chairs
resembling the blanco armor acrylics
of Imperial Stormtroopers

on watch for Black Swans
the panel's moderator incants
if one appears
we told you so
if one fails to materialize
risk managers
have earned their dear keep
seminarians chuckle

the dais backdrop
a massive SONY plasma screen
stares down seminarians
with ruminative bleakness.
no digital blips or power points
will convey any meaning
turn a clever phrase
sprout a statistic
paint a pretty picture,
just the plain spoken word
of highly credentialed
speakers with bios
many paragraphs long
confers license to speak

the screens blackness
a perfect counter point
to a rooms spare whiteness
and pedestrian furbishment
save a day glow Warhol Print
of the heroic MTV moon walker
and a predominant majority
of Far Eastern attendees

questions from the floor
drizzle the panel
tied tongues
use tight selective language
of lexiconic colloquialisms
speaking a queer vernacular
of erudite bombastic bunk

questions are mumbled
with increasingly greater acuity
dancing around bank meltdowns
and global economic catastrophes
with a self anointed smug absolution
and poignant failure to acknowledge
a failures paternity
pink elephants and 800 pound gorillas
remain dance hall wallflowers


to be sure language evolves
the moderator instructs
as regulatory guidelines converge
to address market flux.
Is everyone comfortable with
the current acronyms
we devised
to describe our
present situation
best laid plans
and timely initiatives
to safeguard capital adequacy
and institutional solvency
right here in our own
little tower of Babel?

My tie is too tight
to clear my throat
I can't ask my question
of apples to apples
dust to dust
and oranges to tangerines
while the halting speech of others
is broken up
by timely ring tones
from Jeopardy
and Gene Autry's
Don't Fence Me In

every once in awhile
a chuckle is raised
we laugh about the score
in this inside baseball game
of capital requirements
regulatory Nexis
and smart *** traders
plying bold arbitrage strategies
blowing us back to Basel I
after the global bank implosion
oh the hilarity
of credit crises and crashes
the jokes on us
the joke-sters R US

some begin to
urgently finger blackberries
sending confident commands
to be dutifully carried out
by young back office minions
impatiently waiting
hanging on every word
of unintelligible texts
eagerly biding time
to take
the solid senders warm seat
in these cold blanched rooms

Closing the seminar
the moderator's summation
offered the thought
that her fondest hope remains
scenario analysis,
stress testing
and the new
emerging paradigms
will become
embedded in
risk management
best practices
and that fewer regulators
will be needed to regulate
and we will continue
to be employed
(nervous chuckles)
clapping
reception for networking
to follow
questions
and
cocktails
in the next room

I move quickly
to fill my plate with brie
English tea crackers
and a smoky tangy cheese.
A fellow seminarian
approaches me.
He smiles and asks,
Whats your name?
What do you do?
I tell him
and ask the same.
He says he is 50
and unemployed.
He sounds unsure
and frightened.
I bite into a chunk
of exotic cheese.
******* crumbs fall
onto the lapel
of my freshly pressed
pinstripe suit.

Music Selection:
Miles Davis
Red China Blues

jbm
NYC
03/03/09
Johnny Noiπ Nov 2018
Kidnapped from the holy,
Anthony's poverty is dense,
black daisy Italian covered
in the shape of the gutter;

I was stolen away out of the saints
Anthony, poverty is weak grove dark
with the daisy of the Italian band,
covered in the shape of Paratroopers
from the foxes, the color from the glass,
and the color of a white rising
in the skin, and in the pillows,
feathery Cebele delivers medical
services and the other out of the
vessel, 1 to the beauty of the
magnesium. For with the voice
of 1 will add to all your praise.
1 have a great idea. Anger, sorrow,
and seminarians the cause of action
is in hand to motivational, Lori 57.02;
56, Russia, Russia, Belgium, Russia,
Russia, Britain, Great Britain, Uganda,
Pangasius' Russia "19 19" pairs,
Turkey's Ryeman, Kenya Kenya Kenya,
Kinshasa United States religion 60 years,
Christian Armstrong, Austria, 41 )
boulders, Kenya is not a small group.
John Heine, our organizational structure.
3 red - red, white, red, black and red
Russia, Russia, Montenegro? Russia,
Ireland, Australia, Uganda, English,
many teachers, the first black, white,
while in the United States in the years
1960 to 2000, is the largest changes
occurred in the United States, Armenia,
Austria, Ireland and Sierra Leone's Id.
This is a free man. Little by little
knowledge and a little time to builders,
many of the people have gone back
East Policy - Russia's good war. arch
great importance. It is the fight against
God. Stock Fakzio of abandoned
Company, Company articles women
write kbps jack spontaneously girl
Shuples head Bombe Bache message
soccer No, Michael, Michael Draft
mouth after Black; black research written
by George Diapers massage for Gypsies;
mother and Duffy Until spider Scallop,
Beginners drawing and painting; the good,
and through all and in the good there,
and the war between Russia. TTravel agency
vehicles that are very important to the wheat
of Angels who for many years that in the
blood was angelic. Jolise in the Lori is small
compared to the ******, a mighty ******,
a mighty ******, a mighty ******, a mighty
******, a mighty ******, a mighty ******,
a mighty ******, a mighty ******, a mighty
******, a mighty ******, a mighty ******
for the ******, a mighty ******, a mighty
******, a mighty ******, a mighty ******,
a mighty ******, a mighty ******, a mighty
******, a mighty ******, a mighty ******,
a mighty ******, a mighty ******,
a mighty ******, a mighty ****** new
mighty hunter before the Lord, [and] began
to be asked ... "****** ID. 1, in the evening
was a hunter, and quite large. 2, not capitalized:
subsp. 3, it is not capitalized, slang stupid ****.
******'s welcome or reject the truth.
Real inside white Skincare silent ******'s
blind draw ****** in the middle east, the
play of the year, many of medical products -
if they want to be good human beings, as
well as Russia. Integer moms, especially
plastic on the face of the young people, the
devil does not drink angel sherry; Sassiam
Sands of some rotational motion pregnancy,
poetry, a computer clock's homosexual tooth;
Sky, childhood, broke the unwritten light.
DRAWING search. Thomas John Clark team
a ******* jelly ankles write in the light of
the stars at night, the price of first-degree
Christmas Back goggle back in Whistler bid
***** will be back in the field kidnapped
from the holy glory Gearboxes Anthony's
Italian covered daisy black poverty F Figure
hanging from the ceiling by a *****; *****
the plotular witnesses are like parasites,
spray vacuum foam vacuum paratrooper
form of white feather features CEBELE's
***** skin and cold water of the color
of the Fox and skin of John's magnesia
leaf clover shamrock: 2; I remember
the beautiful girl in the city of the beautiful
and graceful,and seven hundred of gold
he earned 3 looks very bright and servants
that had knowledge of the times,
and the women are said. White blind draw
to remain silent whisper Healthy Skincare
plays the years, and many in the Middle
East Medical products - if they want to be
good human beings in Russia, and Russia
as well. In the latest of plastic on the face,
especially for young people, the messenger
of Satan to face a wall of sherry Sands
of Sassiam some rotational motion pregnancy,
poetry, a computer, homosexual, clock tooth
Sky, childhood, writing Oh shines more
brake system of system of system of the
system of system the system of the system.
Picture search. Roy Thomas, John Clark
team, a ******* jelly writer of the ankles
bound stars for light by night CHR is price
of the first degree
Timothy Joyner Mar 2017
No, really, I'm good, I'll keep the shoes.
No rubbing needed, your hands aren't quite articulate
They don't speak our language to seminarians
So it ends up that one can only speculate

The ravages of a begotten forlorn past
Has set in motion a mind set of complete absolutism
No place like a supposed safe and warm abode
                            ?
When perhaps it's more like we all have a substitutism

I love the warm ruby red glow of the shoes
It sooths the sadness and melancholy freeing my apogee
Was I lied to when told there was no place like home
                            !?
Or did I just loose my way down the road to phonology
                             ?

After all these years I have to chuckle a laugh
You thought I misplaced the object of your aspiration
They are good as new, shining for all the World to see
Forever inscribed upon the frequency of adoration
People tend to underestimate me. Over the years it's as though it's a chore to stay in touch. Frankly I'd prefer them just to move on. They haven't really ever been my family anyway. <;0(  Maybe a bit of sadness there. I'd rather have the sadness then the questioning bitterness I had for so many years!
Neo Dore Oct 2019
School? Tsk...Tsk...Tsk. What a spectacle.
I hear the bell chiming already- ding...ding...ding
Then sick and scowled, we'd walk right to were we were meant to be. "Meant to be". Heart pounding 'cos if we were late!? Or in the wrong place or mixed up the wrong dates!? No...no...no that was trouble. "The bell is the voice of God"  The priest(s) would say, each day, "and when it rings you must obey" A bell? I thought, the voice of God? I chuckled.

I remember the shadows of the seminarians watching.
The irate stare and feign smile. Weren't these men of God!?  They came in new and good, but give them a day or two and...and my God!!!
There were rumors of bizarre things that happened behind closed doors, no one "saw", but walls. I know someone was there. Had to be! When the last bell rang, and the lights faded out. People became monsters. It changes people. And it would, you too because real monsters are in the light and you too are one of them.

The mass either left you hungry and empty, guilty and filthy or just feeling good about yourself for no good reason because some preacher said: "Hark, all worries will be left behind, and all disappoint too, will be gone forever..."  It was the same thing, day in and day out. One man's crime was all mens'. And our tongue just clung to our mouth because who would dare raise a finger in anger to a priest? God's delegate.  There were rumors.  

There were rumors no one would admit they saw until dusk when the light-out hour came and we streaked together muffle and scoffled about everything. It was either that or we tried, however, we could to get food. Some even looted goods, black and white was the code and we hid it safe as gold. You won't get it. Sometimes people would go as far as...sign  

****...****...****
Heavy eyed and tired. The bell snaped you from your dream back to this hellfire. And before you blinked you were in class
Then smell of dry papers and ink, sound of pens screeching and then you see.
Students hastily walking to where they are meant to be? "Meant to be!?"
Teachers, few, pretty as rose and others old and cold. All claiming they had gold to impact on us. Most times, the men, well tucked, some tall and maybe bit lanky.

The priests were like ghosts. Some went as far as saying Godly. Their bellowing white-blue cassock whipped by, and while some would sigh, others would hush and some would rush to where they were meant to be. Meant to be. Now ghost quiet, staring from somewhere was the priest ghost silent...



.
(conceived while in utero
which loosely summarization in toto
of this ordinary Joe Schmoe,
who did wade nine months for a roe
at mercy of obstetricians status quo,

giving me a jump start to blend pro
pen city utilizing both a very small oboe,
and comination cross bow
either plucking or shooting from off
     umbilical cord mocks nocks notched arrow.
          
Biological copulation draws, etches, fashions
genesis hewing, inscribing jeweled kismet,
legislating miraculous novitiate officiating
poignant outcome quintessential reproduction
seminarians theological universal vocalization

whittling ** xy yearning zealously, zestfully
aggregating begotten cell diminutive elementary
fecund gametes glommed gooey honied
insulated joined kindled live miniscule netizen
outlook plenti qualified readied simulacrum

thrumming undifferentiated voiceless wisp,
xpert yin/yang zygote (adroit bitcoin currency)
describing extemporaneous fusion generates
hormonal influx juices kickstarting life

manifold natural occurrence pregnancy
quilts rudimentary secrete tapestry until vicar
wizard yields zealous adorable biological
concatenation, derivative extrapolated

filigreed ****** helped induce jointly
knotted linkedin minecraft nascent
ovulation presaging quintessential
reproduction, sharing trimesters, umbilical
venerated womb yearning Zen.

Amazing baby, credit deoxyribonucleic
acid, enigma fantastically grand husband
injected jetted klatch, leaving microscopic
nothings, opportunistically pierced quarters,
readied shutterfly trap, ****** vibrantly
welded x2c yoked Zappa.

A bun cooks definitive enchilada, formula
generations hardy induce jimmied kin,
labored maternal newborn, one pricked
queue, randiness spurred ****** ubiquitously,
voyaged whimpering xing yelper zings.

Adoration bequeathed commencing doting
eyeing, fondling, giving heartfelt infusion
joyus kindred living momentous novel
offspring perpetrate quickening rapport

subjected treatment unequivically validates
wonderful Xit yolking bearable delivery
fostering  heavenly joy kneading,
legitimizing, masterminding nascent

ontogenesis pacifying quivering reverentially
terminating viability, where yips align  
crying embryo finis gestating heralding
jubilant loving natural parental reverence.

Reality inundates the full term off
spring upon a lifelong journey (initially as a
foreigner sans in utero), but willfulness viz
life source secures survivor against pinging

peccadilloes learning by trial and error to iron
out kinks as one among the human league
since modus operandi transcend encumbrances
triggers built in impetus to traverse potential

pitfalls along the space/time continuum trajectory
which adversity only serves to net greater strength
since that instantaneous and spontaneous bitmap
encoded upon conception.
(conceived while in utero
which loosely summarization in toto
of this ordinary Joe Schmoe,
who did wade nine months for a roe
at mercy of obstetricians status quo,

giving me a jump start to blend pro
pen city utilizing both a very small oboe,
and combination cross bow
either plucking or shooting from off
umbilical cord mocks nocks notched arrow.
          
Biological copulation draws, etches, fashions
genesis hewing, inscribing jeweled kismet,
legislating miraculous novitiate officiating
poignant outcome quintessential reproduction
seminarians theological universal vocalization

whittling ** xy yearning zealously, zestfully
aggregating begotten cell diminutive elementary
fecund gametes glommed gooey honied
insulated joined kindled live miniscule netizen
outlook plenti qualified readied simulacrum

thrumming undifferentiated voiceless wisp,
xpert yin/yang zygote (adroit bitcoin currency)
describing extemporaneous fusion generates
hormonal influx juices kickstarting life

manifold natural occurrence pregnancy
quilts rudimentary secrete tapestry until vicar
wizard yields zealous adorable biological
concatenation, derivative extrapolated

filigreed ****** helped induce jointly
knotted linkedin minecraft nascent
ovulation presaging quintessential
reproduction, sharing trimesters, umbilical
venerated womb yearning Zen.

Amazing baby, credit deoxyribonucleic
acid, enigma fantastically grand husband
injected jetted klatch, leaving microscopic
nothings, opportunistically pierced quarters,
readied shutterfly trap, ****** vibrantly
welded x2c yoked Zapped.

A bun cooks definitive enchilada, formula
generations hardy induce jimmied kin,
labored maternal newborn, one pricked
queue, randiness spurred ****** ubiquitously,
voyaged whimpering xing yelper zings.

Adoration bequeathed commencing doting
eyeing, fondling, giving heartfelt infusion
joyus kindred living momentous novel
offspring perpetrate quickening rapport

subjected treatment unequivocally validates
wonderful Xit yolking bearable delivery
fostering  heavenly joy kneading,
legitimizing, masterminding nascent

ontogenesis pacifying quivering reverentially
terminating viability, where yips align  
crying embryo finis gestating heralding
jubilant loving natural parental reverence.

Reality inundates the full term offspring
embarks upon a lifelong journey (initially as  
foreigner sans in utero), but willfulness viz
life source secures survivor against pinging

peccadilloes learning by trial and error to iron
out kinks as one among the human league
since modus operandi transcend encumbrances
triggers built in impetus to traverse potential

pitfalls along the space/time continuum trajectory
which adversity only serves to net greater strength
since that instantaneous and spontaneous bitmap
encoded upon conception.

— The End —