Within Prudential's towering keep, a tale of woe hath sprung,
The CFO, his honour stripped, by his own hand was flung,
For he did aid a vassal's kin to claim a golden worth,
Only to find himself forsaken, cast adrift from the hearth.

In lands where gold and silver speak, a storm of change doth whirl,
The mighty dollar rises fierce, its banners are unfurl'd,
Lo! Eurozone and British shires, their fortunes seen to wane,
And in this tempest, the greenback sails, basking in the gain.

From distant China, whispers come of shadows on the tide,
A call for gold-enfolded arms, their fears and doubts to hide.
To Hong Kong's isle, the mainlanders in droves begin to flee,
And in their wake, a boon for HSBC they guarantee.

by Æthelred the Skald

a centaur