Canary in the Market

Canary in the Market

Some assume a canary is a birdbrain
Are they suffering from a brain drain?
We had a pet canary
       named Pierre
       tall and yellow
       sang very fair
The crux of his genius
       he was a stock market sage
We made a habit of
       papering his cage
       from an early age
With the business section
       the stock market page
I guess Pierre  studied  the Dow
       and NASDAQ, anyhow
We noticed he'd peck a line
       very fine
In front of the stocks he liked
He'd peck away
       those he spiked
We didn't take the bird seriously
       a wick
Uncle Joe put a few hundred
       on Pierre's pick
Tripled his cash mighty quick
After that we paid attention
       and
Got together about a grand
Pierre picked several winners
       loser's nil
In a month we were paying
       The Wall Street Journal bill
We changed his paper
       several times in his tray
Set the TV not far away
       listened to the stock commentary
       all day
In six months we had twelve grand
We bought him a bigger gilt cage
       on a stand
We took a small loss on ATT
       to wit
       didn't realize
       he had shit on it
Pierre had devised
       a new form of communication
We watched now with attention
       his negation
       every chirp
       directions of lost feathers
We sought signs as to whether
       he was advising
       or despising
By August our earnings
       were over ten thousand
       then we see
       a circle pecked
       at a saving bank's plea
A sign he wanted a nest egg?
We decided to save
       ten percent of
       each month's profit leg
In December we enjoyed
       a Santa Claus rally and
       our earnings hit 22 grand
When he began to tear
       at a book ad
       predicting a fall
       we stayed on the sidelines  
       sold out all
By Easter he became tentative
       Railroad stocks and Casinos
       Electronics to win
       held till July
       then sold out before the fall
We were up to 37 thou in all
On the side lines
       Pierre became interested
       in Commodities motion
       the market rolled back and forth
       like a churning ocean
We floated boxcars
       of Heating Oil futures and Gold
The risk was greater
       but the rewards were bold
We hit 105 thou in less that three months
      but our sage
      stopped
      no longer pecked at the page
 Pierre sang mournful songs
        spring was not long
        upon us
        circled Red Canary Mines
        Viagra coupon's expiration date
        Obviously, he wanted a wife
We found a perfect female date
Within two days
        they would mate
She would sit in the food cup
        to keep him at bay
Then she began tearing paper scraps
        wouldn't rest
We gave her a straw frame  
        in a day
        she had a woven nest
Youngsters arrived
        in the weeks that followed
Parents fed them
        grain soft and hollowed
But no more messages
       for trades!
The market rose and fell
Bank interest was high
       mercurial
Our funds we were still growing well
We realized Pierre had retired
We were out of the market
       as if we were fired
We bought our first home
Dad printed a cryptic sign
       for the front door
      "The Bird's Nose"
We still have Pierre's decedents
       who rose
From that love match
Hoping one will show
       an interest when hatched
But it is best to expect nothing
It avoids disappointment
I guess sex
       was the fly in the ointment?
Pierre preferred being a lover  
       to being a market wiz
He made us a fortune
He taught us a lesson
The market is for the birds
       Life is for sex'en!