The next financial crash

‘The stresses of recession and unemployment triggered by the global financial crash of 2008 led to a spike in suicides among men in Europe and North America.’ (CNN Money)

When the next crash comes, remind yourself
that balconies aren’t platforms
for the wingless flight of desperate men.

That window ledges are not diving boards;
the roof is not a launch pad.

Know that just because your stock plunges
you don’t have to do the same.

And when shares sink in a sea of red
it’s not a cue to take a leap
and colour-match the pavement.

The ground is not a trampoline;
it isn’t an escape hatch.

It’s not a bolt-hole offering refuge
from the scourges of a bear’s bad run.

When the next crash comes, understand
the trading floor is not some shrine
where offerings can slake thirsty gods.

By Victoria Briggs

Biography:

Victoria Briggs is a writer with recent work published in Litro, Structo, The Honest Ulsterman, The Offing, Short Fiction, Prole and Unthology. She once won the Asham Award for women writers and has previously been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. She lives in London and tweets @vicbriggs.