'Twas the Night Before Christmas - 2008

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, all the people were soused.
It had been a vile year by any measurable account,
One that historians and academics will long talk about.
Oil prices shot sky-high, there was pain at the pump,
Then Fannie and Freddie made housing go thump.
Like dominoes, the investment banks fell into peril,
First went Bear Stearns, followed by Lehman and Merrill.
Mortgage backed securities made credit run dry,
And the stock markets crashed with a terrible cry.
Then Congress and the Treasury turned us all into suckers,
With a bailout so enormous, it made all our butts pucker.
Our taxpayer cash went to AIG, B of A, and Citi,
And Detroit's big three begged us all to have pity.
Just when we thought we couldn't take any more,
Along came Maddoff and his zillion dollar fraud.
Looking back on it all, what we really did best,
Was pointing our fingers at everyone else.
So here we are drowning in eggnog and scotch,
Wondering what else is left for our leaders to botch.
But just one more thought, 'for I turn out the light,
And wish you all a Happy Christmas night.
You can lose all your money and things you hold dear,
But don't lose your spirit, your love, or your cheer.
(Apologies to Clement Clarke Moore)