Saraswatink

Throgmorton’s Threadneedle Thrift

Is the fairest of them all.

Office gossip wraps around

The columns of the Royal Exchange –

Banks interchange

The lunch hour, the rush hour

Smiles.

[The Royal Exchange

Twice burnt down,

Stockbrokers hissing at it

From Jonathan’s coffee house.

Ablaze too, once.]

Festive penguins sipping blue cocktails

Without chewing the lime

Slice.

Stockbrokers hissing twice.

Twenty somethings,

In navy trousers and sky blue shirts

With cardboard cups and glass houses –

“Play ball

Now play ball

Now!”

Meanwhile, Tellers’ talk of the morning’s tally

Extend

Into the folds of piggy blankety

Blanks.

On rosy cheeked desks,

rest,

jewels, long legs, polished shoes,

laddered flanks.