This poem is written in English for international readers.
Unshaken by Decline
Unshaken by falling prices,
unshaken by currencies that drift and turn,
unshaken by inflation,
unshaken by words spoken by important men.
With a body made sturdy enough to endure,
with desire within me,
yet not consumed by anger,
I smile quietly, always.
In the morning,
a croissant and consomme soup.
If there is salad and bacon with eggs,
that is even better.
I take all things into myself,
passing them through my own emotions.
I listen carefully,
sometimes understanding too well,
sometimes choosing to forget.
I build my home
in a place just outside the city,
slightly convenient,
nothing more.
If to the east there is a young person
who sold in loss,
I go and listen to their complaints.
If to the west there is a tired mother,
I bring back something good to eat.
If to the south there is someone
about to be crushed by a Margin Call,
I say, let’s drink together.
If to the north there is a firestorm on social media,
in my heart I cheer,
yes, go on, burn a little more.
In declining markets, I shed tears.
I stop to think—
why is it only my stocks?
They call me someone they cannot quite understand.
Sometimes they praise me.
I am not troubled by either.
This is the kind of person
I want to become.
Commentary: The Trader's Unshaken Ideal
This poem is a modern, satirical adaptation of "Ame Ni Mo Makezu" (Be Not Defeated by the Rain), a profoundly spiritual and ethical poem written by the revered Japanese poet, Kenji Miyazawa, in the 1930s.
The Context of the Parody
Miyazawa's original work describes a life of asceticism, selflessness, and resilience against the hardships of nature (rain, wind, snow). This parody transplants that ideal structure into the turbulent world of modern finance and trading.
- The Adversaries: Instead of nature, the obstacles are "falling prices," "inflation," and "important men" (central bankers or politicians whose words move markets).
- The Ideal Trader: The poem outlines the ideal state of mind for a trader: having "desire" (the need to profit) but not being "consumed by anger" (emotional trading). The ultimate goal is to "smile quietly, always," a state of true equanimity.
- The Social Dimension: The structured format ("If to the east... If to the south...") is used to describe how the ideal trader interacts with others who suffer market pain: listening to those who "sold in loss" and offering to "drink together" with those facing a Margin Call (the trader's equivalent of a crisis).
The Humorous Twist
The humor lies in the gap between the high ethical ideal and the reality of trading life. Despite aspiring to be "unshaken," the narrator admits: "I stop to think—why is it only my stocks?" This moment of self-doubt is the most relatable and human part of the poem, emphasizing that the ideal trader remains just that—an ideal.
"In the end, this parody reminds us that while perfect equanimity may be an ideal, acknowledging our human vulnerabilities is what truly makes us better traders."
Thank you for reading my poem 😊
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