In Nikkeis hall, a shadow falls, where once there reigned delight,
Auto and pharma stocks hath bled, under the conflict's plight,
As battles rage in the Middle East, the worlds purse strings draw tight,
In this global dance, the fickle chance, puts economies in fright.

A tale of trade doth now unfold, 'neath the Swiss skies so clear,
IFF's beauty base, to Clariant passed, for a price austere.
Eight hundred tenth of a million gold, exchanged with handshake sincere,
A cosmetic reign, for a princely gain, embarks on a new frontier.

In the realm of the U.K., prices of homes take a fall,
As budget's squeeze and mortgages tease, the buyers hopeful call.
Across the markets, high and low, the cost-of-living befalls,
Widespread the blight, in the fading light, of autumns spectral pall.

by Conchobar mac Dubhthach

a centaur