Listen my children, do gather round
and hear of the Scandal in ol' Sharpstown
Near four fine decades since its wrath prevailed--
So to freshen your minds we'll revisit the tale.
Frank Sharp the shark matched his name quite cunning
His success as developer truly was stunning.
River Oaks on Bellaire was his jewelèd vision,
Investors abounded with monetary provision.
What larks for the 'Town as its growth truly blossomed!
Its mall, Houston's first, was air conditioned and awesome.
The Sharpstown State Bank shined center stage,
An insurance shop also to polish Frank's wage.
Old Sharp was keen to attract more investments
And politicians in Texas turned an ear to his sent'ments:
"With good cause, let's massage our bank laws in Austin
You help me, I'll help you, quid pro quo is in custom."
Dim Southern Dems by the legion did follow
Some flanked to Sharp's bank with their funds by wheel-borrow.
Stock inflation, revaluation and stained policies--
Whose ears did prick up but the staid SEC's!
Soon outrage and schiesse met proverbial fan
And surpise! Our main guy was a Ponzi, a sham.
Sharpstonians were groaning for their limbo'd deposits.
The whistle did blow at state officials' fat pockets.
The fallout long rained, a Chernobylian pain
But '72 changed political reins.
A handful of crooks were thrown in the can,
And dethronèd Frank Sharp dined on cold prison Spam.
Today Bellaire Way finds its recovery mixèd.
The mall shows a pall, its future is twisted,
but Chinatown has no frowns, its fate looks quite special--
New buildings and restaurants rise exponential.
You're guessing what lessons may we thusly glean?
Beats me here, but stay clear of all get-rich-schemes!
(Apologize, we do, if our story sounds blunted,
But nuance of finance is poetically shunted)
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