Turn the page in a few weeks, put it
firmly in the past.
The days are growing shorter, the
nights are getting colder,
As fall turns into winter, another
year we all are older.
Put your politics aside, for a
moment let’s be civil,
If you watch CNN or Fox, forget
about all that drivel.
To this year’s beginning, let’s
re-wind back the clock,
We’ll look at it holistically, not
on a basis that’s ad hoc.
News there was aplenty, stories of
people very brave,
A Thai soccer team and coach,
rescued from a flooded cave.
Winter in PyeongChang, we saw the
Olympic flame ignited,
And the South and North Koreans,
marching with one flag united.
A Windsor Castle wedding, how those
British royals sparkle,
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex,
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
At his confirmation hearings,
Kavanaugh faced some strong objections,
The Dems took back the House, in
November’s midterm elections.
Farewell to Steven Hawking, Godspeed
to John McCain,
Respect to Aretha Franklin, good
eats to Anthony Bourdain.
The rich and famous lifestyles, did
show us Robin Leach,
The evangelist Billy Graham, he sure
knew how to preach.
George and Barbara Bush, a classy
couple he and she,
A fond goodbye to Burt Reynolds, so
long now to Stan Lee.
The most gruesome death this year,
Khashoggi we do remember,
For whom a hit squad was dispatched,
to murder and dismember.
A fourth term coronation for Putin,
Xi’s now emperor for life,
Genocide in Burma, in Syria endless
strife.
A June summit down in Singapore,
Trump and Kim Jong-Un,
Raising hopes for a de-nuking,
assuming you trust that pudgy goon.
A duck boat disaster in July,
California fires in a recurring cycle,
Tragedies in Florida, the Parkland
shooting and Hurricane Michael.
A former Russian spy in England,
poisoned but still alive,
Great progress down in Saudi, where
the women now can drive.
A caravan of migrants, heading
northward towards the border,
So Trump dispatched the troops,
vowing to keep the law and order.
China’s modifying the genes of
babies, opening Pandora’s box,
In Boston they’re still cheering,
the triumph of their Red Sox.
The Eagles flew and flew, and seized
a rare victory dance,
At the World Cup in Russia, the
trophy went to France.
The Warriors won in four, beating
Cleveland in a hurry,
Even mighty LeBron was no match, for
Durant and Curry.
Mueller’s investigation moves apace,
slowly tightening the noose,
Seems he’s angling for bigger fish,
and unwilling to call a truce.
White House turnover continues, it’s
stormy near the throne,
Hope Hicks resigned in Feb, followed
in March by Gary Cohn.
Rex Tillerson was fired, these
shifts seem almost daily,
McCabe and McMaster, and don’t
forget about Nikki Haley.
We’re told it’s no big deal, please
don’t get the wrong impressions,
John Kelly’s out as well, following in
the footsteps of Jeff Sessions.
This year in the markets, to almost
nowhere could you flee,
It mattered not if you were in,
fixed income, gold, or equity.
Two issues were to blame, which
caused all this bloodshed,
One was the Chinese tariffs, the
other was the Fed.
Two stocks were worth a trillion,
the Amazon and the Apple,
For redemption from that greed,
we’re now praying in the chapel.
Many charts are off the peak, so
much it makes you holler,
The only things that have gone up,
are volatility and the dollar.
So what awaits us all next year, in
this uncertain future,
How to stop this sudden bleeding,
and give our wounds a suture?
Perhaps reset your expectations, to
a lower notch than outright brash,
It’s not time for crazy leverage,
you’re not a fool to hold some cash.
The QE is unwinding, there’s no
prior roadmap for this journey,
Before it’s over rest assured, some
will be rolled out on a gurney.
Prepare to take more off the table,
if risk assets make another rally,
You’ll be glad you did before, this pullback
makes its grand finale.
But enough with gloom and doom, in
this annual search for clarity,
Let’s count our many blessings, in
this season of hope and charity.
If your tower’s Trump or made of ivory,
let’s stop the nasty tweets,
And work to bridge our differences,
and share some holiday treats.
Though we disagree quite often, consensus
we must reach,
Whether you’re in the camp of one
more term, or the one of let’s impeach.
Let’s take a year end break, from
trade wars and yield curve kinks.
Look up now from your smartphone,
and enjoy some New Year’s drinks.
