MICHAEL
Michael will worry the cash flow
To prevent undue rapid or rash flow
At night he’ll awake
With a start and a shake —
And wonder, Where did the stash go?
It’s become an Olympian sport —
Preparing the Budget Report
If you’re faint hearted
Don’t even start it —
No chance to drop out or abort
Trustees can be fearsome financers —
They do not like dodgers and dancers
Their questions are tough
But they meet the right stuff —
Michael has all of the answers
Courage is not something he lacks
He’s strong when the pressure attacks
Rising debt service
Makes CFOs nervous —
Not Michael — we borrow the max
He meets with actual bankers —
A task for which none of us hankers
But Michael’s right there
With great savoir faire —
Speeve, you have numerous thankers
Vedic columns adorned all his charts
He connects us to where it all starts
The numbers? In order
But there, on the border —
There’s where he touches our hearts
What’s between the two columns, you say?
The trend lines are heading which way?
The way that they should —
All to the good —
So folks, you can all run and play
No angles with Michael — no tangles
Nothing that riles or rankles
He’s friendliness, fineness,
Compassion, and kindness —
Except when he’s biting our ankles
Michael is famed as a Suit
A bassist — and singer to boot
He stands in his place
And rocks on his bass
Keep your day job — but, hey, you are cute
And now I’ll reveal a sweet truth
Michael has quite a strong sweet tooth
There isn’t a pie
He could ever deny
There isn’t a cake
He’s unable to take
There isn’t a sweet
He’s unable to eat —
And this is the whole and complete truth
Michael’s a regular guy
But there’s more than at first meets the eye
He’s Dean of the Dollar —
But also a scholar
As one comes to find by and bye
In philosophy, history, arts
Michael joins wholeness and parts
One comes to find
An erudite mind —
And it floats on the hugest of hearts
May endowments be productive, protected
May expenses be less than expected
May student tuitions
Exceed all ambitions —
Beyond what in dreams we’ve projected
And enjoy many days on the lake
With no fears that some world is at stake
When the wind is just right,
The sky blue and bright,
Leaving ripples of gold in your wake
He’s more than a mere money measurer
More than line-itemer, ledgerer
Michael’s our guide —
On him we all ride —
Michael’s the treasure in treasurer
Michael’s our resources stretcherer
Our finances finder and fetcherer
To him we’ve applied —
He will provide —
Michael’s the treasure in treasurer
Hard at work — he is hardly a leisurer
May his job give him joy — be a pleasurer
Give bubbling bliss —
And we say, for all this:
Michael’s the treasure in treasurer
Whenever we see Michael Speeve
We stand up and say I believe!
May our Man of the Numbers
Witness his slumbers —
And Michael: Don’t ever leave!
October 9, 2005 / 2015
