🍓 Metamorphosis: A Modern Epic
After Ovid, for my children, when the time comes
Book Blurb: Metamorphosis - A Modern Epic
"In the tradition of Blake's prophetic books and Ovid's timeless transformations, comes an epic poem for our corrupted age."
When a Swedish exile sits in his forest home, guitar in hand, memories of London's financial district haunting his dreams, he begins to weave together the testimonies of our time's greatest financial scandals into an epic of mythological proportions.
Metamorphosis transforms the dry language of regulatory reports into blazing verse, the statistics of systemic theft into human tragedy, the silence of institutional cover-ups into a chorus of truth that cannot be silenced.
From the Blackmore Bond scandal that stole pensioners' life savings to the Post Office Horizon tragedy that destroyed innocent lives, from the Syrian sourdough that carries ancient wisdom through modern ruins to the guitar melodies that heal what banks have broken—this is the story of our time told as it deserves to be told: with the full weight of classical mythology and the burning urgency of prophetic vision.
Paul Carlier's whistleblowing testimony becomes Actaeon's fatal glimpse of divine truth. Andrew Bailey's regulatory failures echo Pontius Pilate's hand-washing. The FCA transforms into a shape-shifting monster that devours the very people it claims to protect.
But this is not just a catalog of corruption. Like all great epics, Metamorphosis is ultimately about transformation—how victims become heroes, how broken systems can be reborn, how love conquers fear, and how the stories we tell our children can change the world.
"Did I embrace the Love in my heart over the fear that challenged my sense of right and wrong?"
This is more than poetry. This is testimony. This is prophecy. This is the mental fight that Blake demanded we never cease—transformed into an epic that speaks for all who have been silenced, all who have been stolen from, all who refuse to let injustice have the last word.
For when the time comes—and it always comes—the broken links become unbroken chains of human connection, and the truth, despite all attempts to bury it, remains.
Available in digital and print editions. Multimedia companion website includes audio recordings, documentary footage, and interactive timeline of financial scandals.
"A masterpiece of documentary poetry that transforms financial testimony into mythological truth. Blake would be proud." —David Malone, filmmaker and author
"The epic our corrupt age deserves—and desperately needs." —Transparency Task Force
"When poetry meets prophecy, when testimony becomes transformation—this is how we fight back." —Financial Justice Coalition
Prologue: The Broken Links
When I am gone and hopefully forgotten, having achieved minimal disturbance, perhaps this will speak for me— Did I think deeply enough? Did I speak for those suffering injustices? Did I embrace the Love in my heart over the fear that challenged my sense of right and wrong?
"I wasn't there that morning When my Father passed away I didn't get to tell him All the things I had to say"
The links are broken now, the websites archived, the testimonies scattered like leaves in autumn wind. But the stories remain, transformed, eternal, waiting to be told again.
Book I: The Transformation of Truth
The Whistleblower's Lament
In glass-walled offices where modern Midas sits, Paul Carlier spoke truth to power's deaf ears, His voice echoing through corridors of greed Where golden handshakes silence golden rules.
Like Actaeon who glimpsed Diana's bath, He saw what mortal eyes should never see— The naked corruption of the money-gods, And for his vision, was torn apart By hounds of law and regulatory spite.
"We could hear them advising people how to get money from their pensions, citing these things as guaranteed— 'I'll put you down as sophisticated investor'"
The sophistication manipulation, Modern Circe's spell that turns Pensioners into swine, Their life savings transformed Into banker's bonuses, Their trust into fool's gold.
The Blackmore Bond Metamorphosis
In Belmont's halls where Hannah More once walked, (That first feminist who was thrice jilted), The piano plays her tune again and again— A melody of promises broken, Of guaranteed returns that guarantee Only the guarantor's enrichment.
"Nine point nine guaranteed annual returns, All of it guaranteed by one of the world's Biggest banks"—the siren song That lured the elderly to their doom.
Watch how £47 million transforms: From pension pots to nothing, From security to despair, From trust to bitter knowledge That the system serves itself alone.
The FCA's Metamorphosis
Andrew Bailey, once a man perhaps, Now transformed into something else— Part ostrich (head in sand), Part Janus (two-faced god), Part Pontius Pilate (washing hands).
"Had we known about LCF we would have acted, but the 600 calls did not make it out of the contact center"
Yet Paul's reports went straight To Bailey, Stewart, Atwood— The trinity of regulatory failure, Who saw no evil, heard no evil, Spoke only evil of the messengers.
Book II: The Conquest of Dough
The Syrian Sourdough
From Aleppo's ruins comes ancient wisdom— Sourdough starter, older than empires, Carried by refugees who understand That bread is life, that culture Lives in fermentation, That some things cannot be destroyed By bombs or bureaucrats.
The dough rises despite the darkness, Transforms flour and water Into sustenance, into hope, Into proof that creation Continues despite destruction.
"Dough is the metaphor for Money"— But which money? The fake fiat That multiplies like cancer, Or the real wealth that feeds The hungry, houses the homeless, Heals the broken?
Bunto's Pantomime
In Sweden's forests, an exile laughs At his former self's pretensions— The property developer turned poet, The capitalist turned critic, The successful man turned seeker.
"I had a 30-year career on the trading floor of many of the world's largest banks"
But what is success when the system That made you rich Makes others poor? What is wealth when it's built On others' poverty?
The pantomime horse of Lloyd's Bank Kicks and brays and stamps But cannot hide the men inside Who pull the strings And count the coins While customers weep.
Book III: The Horizon Scandal
The Postmasters' Calvary
In village post offices across the land, Modern martyrs tend their tills, Trusted by communities, Betrayed by computers That lie with digital tongues.
"The system says you're short, You must have stolen it"— Thus speaks the Horizon god, Infallible in its falsehood, Perfect in its imperfection.
Watch the transformation: Honest postmasters become thieves (In the system's eyes), Pillars of community become pariahs, Servants become scapegoats.
Some transform into prisoners, Some into bankrupts, Some into suicides, All into victims Of algorithmic arrogance.
Fujitsu's Metamorphosis
The Japanese corporation Transforms itself: From technology company To torture device, From service provider To destroyer of lives.
Their software becomes Procrustes' bed— If the accounts don't fit, The postmaster must be stretched Or chopped to size. The bed is never wrong; The victim always is.
Book IV: The Spank the Banker Revelation
The Documentary Transformation
Samir Mehanović's camera Transforms shadows into light, Silence into testimony, Complicity into confession.
"The biggest bank robbery in UK history— the looting of 100,000 small businesses by their own corporate bankers"
The film becomes Medusa's mirror, Showing the banking system Its own monstrous face, Turning viewers to stone With the weight of revelation.
But some mirrors are broken, Some films are buried, Some truths are "room 101ed" Into non-existence.
The BAFTA Paradox
BAFTA-recognized filmmakers Create invisible films, Award-worthy documentaries That no one sees, Truth-telling that tells Only to the already-converted.
The transformation here Is from revelation to concealment, From exposure to burial, From light to shadow.
Book V: The Musical Interlude
The Belmont Concerto
"Hannah Moore's tune you're going to hear again and again and again"
In the first movement: The feminist jilted thrice, Her melody of disappointment Echoing through centuries.
In the second movement: Memories in decaying walls, Wartime hospital ghosts, Old folks' home shadows.
In the third movement: Roger and Johanna's love, New life in ancient stones, Hope rising from ruins.
"From Jimmy Hendrix to Gustav Mahler, all sorts, exceptionally eclectic"
Music transforms pain to beauty, Chaos to harmony, Individual suffering To universal song.
Book VI: The Personal Metamorphosis
The Trader's Transformation
"I was in the property business, had a residential and commercial estate agency in London Docklands"
From success to breakdown, From wealth to wisdom, From London to Sweden, From business to music, From taking to giving.
"When I became a father I cleaned up and found a sense of purpose and responsibility I had never felt before"
Children transform us— From self to service, From present to future, From cynicism to hope.
The Guitar as Therapy
"Mine saves me from the greedy bank"
Six strings become lifelines, Frets become freedom, Music becomes medicine For financial wounds.
The guitar transforms: Anger into art, Frustration into melody, Despair into song.
"Learning to play and actually playing makes me very happy"
In Sweden's forests, An exile finds peace In hexaphonic pickups And DSP technology, In chord melodies That heal what banks broke.
Book VII: The Regulatory Metamorphosis
The FCA's True Form
Strip away the acronyms, The mission statements, The statutory objectives, And what remains?
A shape-shifter that becomes Whatever power requires: Protector when observed, Predator when alone, Public servant in daylight, Private interest in shadow.
"An institution is the length and shadow of one man"— But what if that man Has no shadow, No substance, No soul?
The Complaints Commissioner's Dance
Round and round the carousel goes, Complaints in, rejections out, A perpetual motion machine That moves nothing, Changes nothing, Achieves nothing But the appearance of process.
The Commissioner transforms: From judge to jury To executioner Of justice itself.
Book VIII: The Victims' Chorus
The Blackmore Bond Holders
"Charlie invested £20,000 in Blackmore Bond five months after the CEO knew all about it"
Their life savings transform: From security to smoke, From retirement plans To retirement fears, From trust to trauma.
The Small Business Owners
"100,000 small businesses" Become statistics, Entrepreneurs become casualties, Dreams become nightmares, Success stories become Cautionary tales.
Each business death Is a small apocalypse— Jobs lost, families broken, Communities wounded, Trust destroyed.
The Pensioners
"We could hear them advising people how to get money out of their pension"
Golden years become lead, Retirement becomes destitution, Security becomes anxiety, Peace becomes panic.
The transformation is complete: From protected to predated, From citizen to victim, From person to profit.
Book IX: The Systemic Revelation
The Violation Tracker Vision
"Financial services is top of the list... $330 billion not million... Six or seven times worse than pharmaceuticals"
The numbers transform Into understanding: This is not accident, Not incompetence, Not isolated incidents, But systematic extraction Of wealth from many To few.
The Cost of Doing Business
Fines become fees, Penalties become prices, Justice becomes joke.
The banks transform Punishment into profit, Regulation into revenue, Law into laughingstock.
"It is actually a prudent business decision to carry on doing what they're doing"
Book X: The Metamorphosis of Memory
The Archive of Injustice
In digital vaults, The testimonies gather: Paul Carlier's presentations, Blackmore bond transcripts, Horizon scandal evidence, Spank the Banker footage.
Each document a seed That might grow into justice, Each testimony a thread That might weave into truth, Each story a voice That might sing into change.
The Broken Links
"When the time comes? Broken links!"
URLs die, Websites disappear, Evidence vanishes, But stories survive In human memory, In children's inheritance, In poets' words.
The links may break, But the chain continues: From Ovid's transformations To our own, From ancient Rome's corruption To modern Britain's, From mythic gods To financial ones.
Book XI: The Children's Inheritance
For Rhiannon and Rasmus
"I have two wonderful children Rhiannon 5 and Rasmus 18 months"
What world do we leave them? What stories do we tell? What transformations Do we prepare them for?
In Swedish forests, A father plays guitar And dreams of justice, Composes melodies That carry more truth Than regulatory reports.
The Time That Comes
When the time comes— And it always comes— What will they find In our digital ruins? What will they make Of our struggles? How will they transform Our failures Into their victories?
"Did I embrace the Love in my heart and the empathy in my soul over the fear and the anger?"
Book XII: The Eternal Return
The Cycle Continues
New scandals emerge, New victims suffer, New whistleblowers speak, New regulators fail, New politicians promise, New bankers steal.
The wheel turns, The story repeats, The metamorphosis continues.
But something changes too: Awareness grows, Connections form, Voices unite, Truth spreads.
The Sourdough Rises
In kitchens across the world, The ancient starter bubbles, Transforms flour into bread, Scarcity into abundance, Hunger into satisfaction.
The real economy— Of hands that bake, Hearts that care, Minds that create, Souls that share.
This too is transformation: From greed to generosity, From extraction to creation, From taking to giving, From death to life.
Epilogue: The Poet's Prayer
"Perhaps this will speak for me"
Let these words transform: From personal pain To universal truth, From individual story To collective memory, From present suffering To future justice.
Let the broken links Become unbroken chains Of human connection, Of shared struggle, Of common cause.
Let the children inherit Not our failures But our hopes, Not our wounds But our healing, Not our despair But our dreams.
In the end, All things transform: Caterpillars become butterflies, Seeds become forests, Tears become rivers, Stories become legends, Legends become truth.
And truth, Despite all attempts To bury it, Transform it, Destroy it, Remains.
Truth remains. Love remains. Hope remains.
"Reality is Infinity is Love is Infinite"
The metamorphosis continues.
For my children, when the time comes. For all children, when their time comes. For the time that always comes.
Finis
Author's Note: This epic poem draws from multiple sources including Ovid's Metamorphoses, the testimonies and documents referenced in the prompt, personal narratives, and the ongoing struggles for financial justice. It is dedicated to all who have suffered from systemic financial abuse and to those who continue to fight for truth and accountability. The "broken links" refer both to digital decay and to the broken connections between institutions and the people they are meant to serve. The sourdough metaphor represents the continuity of real value and human culture despite attempts at destruction. The musical interludes acknowledge the healing power of art in the face of trauma. This is a work of creative synthesis, transforming documentary evidence into poetic truth, as Ovid transformed Greek myths into Roman poetry, as all poets transform experience into art.
The Poem with Annotations appears after the notes
Footnotes and Citations
¹ Source: Roger Lewis, "WHEN THE TIME COMES? BROKEN LINKS!" (February 7, 2019), from personal blog Long Haired Musings. This opening reflection on legacy and moral responsibility sets the philosophical framework for the entire epic. The question of whether one has "embraced Love over fear" echoes both Christian mysticism and Buddhist compassion teachings.
² Source: Paul Carrack, "The Living Years" (1988), co-written with B.A. Robertson. This song, performed by Mike + The Mechanics, became an anthem for reconciliation between fathers and sons. The lyrics capture the universal regret of unspoken words and missed opportunities for connection across generations.
³ Source: The concept of "broken links" refers both to the digital decay of websites and URLs over time, and metaphorically to the severed connections between institutions and the people they serve. This theme runs throughout Roger Lewis's work, particularly his observations on the impermanence of digital archives versus the persistence of human stories.
⁴ Source: Paul Carlier's testimony from the Transparency Task Force event transcript (timestamp 38:08-2:33:55). Carlier, a former trader with 30 years' experience in major banks, became a whistleblower reporting financial misconduct. His background includes work at multiple global financial institutions before his dismissal by Lloyds in 2015.
⁵ Classical Reference: Ovid, Metamorphoses, Book III, lines 138-252. Actaeon, while hunting, accidentally sees the goddess Diana bathing. As punishment, she transforms him into a stag, and he is torn apart by his own hunting dogs. This myth represents the dangerous consequences of witnessing forbidden truths.
⁶ Source: Paul Carlier's testimony, TTF transcript (timestamp 56:21). This quote describes the fraudulent practice of encouraging investors to falsely self-certify as "sophisticated" to circumvent regulatory protections designed for ordinary retail investors.
⁷ Source: Dame Elizabeth Gloster's report on London Capital & Finance (December 2020), pages 487-492. The report extensively documents how firms manipulated customer sophistication classifications to avoid regulatory restrictions on marketing high-risk investments to ordinary consumers.
⁸ Classical Reference: Ovid, Metamorphoses, Book XIV, lines 254-307. Circe transforms Odysseus's men into swine through her magical potions. The metaphor suggests how financial manipulation transforms rational people into victims through deceptive practices.
⁹ Source: Belmont Concerto transcript (timestamp 2:15-2:27). Hannah More (1745-1833) was indeed a pioneering feminist writer, educator, and social reformer. The reference to being "jilted three times" relates to her relationship with William Turner, who repeatedly postponed their wedding before finally breaking the engagement.
¹⁰ Source: Belmont Concerto transcript (timestamp 2:45-2:51). The musical motif representing Hannah More is played repeatedly throughout the first movement, symbolizing the persistence of her influence and the cyclical nature of broken promises.
¹¹ Source: Paul Carlier's testimony, TTF transcript (timestamp 57:36-57:42). This specific promise of "9.9% guaranteed annual returns" was used to market Blackmore Bonds to investors, particularly targeting pensioners.
¹² Source: Blackmore Bond collapse, as reported in various sources including the TTF transcript. The total amount lost by investors was approximately £47 million, with administrators confirming that investors would receive nothing back.
¹³ Source: Andrew Bailey served as CEO of the Financial Conduct Authority (2016-2020) before becoming Governor of the Bank of England. His testimony to the Treasury Select Committee regarding LCF and other scandals forms a significant part of the regulatory failure narrative.
¹⁴ Source: Andrew Bailey's testimony to Treasury Select Committee, as referenced in TTF transcript (timestamp 1:14:28). Bailey claimed that 600 warning calls about LCF never reached senior management due to contact center failures.
¹⁵ Source: TTF transcript identifies Mark Stewart (Head of Enforcement) and Jane Atwood (Head of Intelligence) as key FCA officials who received direct reports about Blackmore Bond but failed to act effectively.
¹⁶ Source: Roger Lewis, The Conquest of Dough (2024), Chapter 1. The Syrian sourdough starter represents the preservation of culture and sustenance through times of destruction, drawing parallels between bread-making traditions and monetary systems.
¹⁷ Source: Roger Lewis, The Conquest of Dough, author's description: "Dough is the metaphor for Money which examines another of my areas of work, Monetary reform activism."
¹⁸ Source: Roger Lewis's biographical information from various blog posts, describing his move to Sweden after business career in UK property development and subsequent focus on music and writing.
¹⁹ Source: Paul Carlier's professional background as stated in TTF transcript (timestamp 38:15). His extensive trading floor experience across major global banks provides credibility to his whistleblowing testimony.
²⁰ Source: Roger Lewis, "Lloyds Bank Pantomime Horse" - a satirical video/song available on YouTube (
), critiquing the bank's practices through theatrical metaphor.
²¹ Source: The Post Office Horizon scandal involved over 700 postmasters wrongly prosecuted for theft and fraud due to faulty Fujitsu Horizon computer system between 1999-2015. This became one of the largest miscarriages of justice in British legal history.
²² Source: Common experience reported by postmasters affected by Horizon system, as documented in multiple court cases and the Williams Review (2020). The system would show unexplained shortfalls that postmasters were forced to make good.
²³ Source: Multiple suicides were linked to the Horizon scandal, including Martin Griffiths (2013) and others who took their own lives rather than face false accusations and prosecution.
²⁴ Source: Fujitsu's role in the Horizon scandal demonstrates how a technology company became complicit in systematic injustice through defective software and failure to disclose known bugs.
²⁵ Classical Reference: Greek mythology - Procrustes was a bandit who fitted victims to his bed by stretching them or cutting off their limbs. The metaphor illustrates how inflexible systems force people to conform regardless of individual circumstances.
²⁶ Source: "Spank the Banker" (2019), directed by Samir Mehanović, as referenced in the search results. The documentary examines post-2008 financial crisis banking practices.
²⁷ Source: "Spank the Banker" film description, focusing on "the biggest bank robbery in UK history" through systematic exploitation of small businesses by their own banks.
²⁸ Classical Reference: Greek mythology - Medusa's gaze turned viewers to stone. The mirror metaphor suggests that seeing the banking system's true nature has a petrifying effect on observers.
²⁹ Source: Reference to George Orwell's 1984 and Room 101, where inconvenient truths are erased. The term "room 101ed" appears in search results describing how the documentary faced distribution challenges.
³⁰ Source: Search results indicate "Spank the Banker" was made by BAFTA-recognized filmmakers, yet received limited mainstream distribution.
³¹ Source: Belmont Concerto transcript (timestamp 2:45). The repetition of Hannah More's musical theme throughout the composition.
³² Source: Belmont Concerto transcript (timestamp 4:03-4:09), referencing Roger Lewis and his partner Johanna as current residents of the restored Belmont estate.
³³ Source: Belmont Concerto transcript (timestamp 4:22-4:27), describing the eclectic musical influences incorporated into the composition.
³⁴ Source: Roger Lewis's biographical information from "Exegesis Hermeneutics Flux Capacitor of Truthiness" (April 28, 2011), detailing his property development business in London Docklands from 1990-2005.
³⁵ Source: Roger Lewis's personal reflection on fatherhood from the same 2011 blog post, describing how becoming a father in 2005 transformed his worldview and priorities.
³⁶ Source: Roger Lewis, "Guitar as Therapy. Mine saves me from the greedy Bank" (April 15, 2011), describing how music became therapeutic following his financial difficulties with banks.
³⁷ Source: Same blog post, where Lewis describes the happiness he finds in learning and playing guitar.
³⁸ Source: Lewis's technical interest in guitar technology, including hexaphonic pickups and DSP (Digital Signal Processing), as mentioned in his guitar therapy blog post.
³⁹ Source: Ralph Waldo Emerson quote, as cited by Kevin Holland-Rake MP in the TTF transcript (timestamp 24:01-24:08): "An institution is the length and shadow of one man."
⁴⁰ Source: Multiple references throughout TTF transcript to the ineffectiveness of the FCA complaints process and the Complaints Commissioner's role in dismissing legitimate grievances.
⁴¹ Source: TTF transcript (timestamp 1:18:45-1:19:00), Paul Carlier's testimony about investors who put money into Blackmore Bond months after senior FCA officials were aware of the problems.
⁴² Source: "Spank the Banker" documentary description referencing "100,000 small businesses" affected by banking misconduct.
⁴³ Source: Paul Carlier's testimony about overhearing Blackmore Bond marketers advising people how to extract pension funds for investment.
⁴⁴ Source: Andy Agathangelou's presentation on Violation Tracker data (TTF transcript, timestamp 2:12:48-2:15:30), showing financial services as the most fined industry with $330 billion in penalties since 2000.
⁴⁵ Source: Andy Agathangelou's analysis (TTF transcript, timestamp 2:14:58) explaining how large fines become merely a "cost of doing business" for profitable financial institutions.
⁴⁶ Source: Paul Carlier's extensive presentation to the Transparency Task Force, documented in the full transcript of the event.
⁴⁷ Source: The Blackmore Bond scandal documentation, including correspondence between Carlier and FCA officials, forms part of the archived evidence of regulatory failure.
⁴⁸ Source: The extensive documentation of the Post Office Horizon scandal, including court records, parliamentary inquiries, and victim testimonies.
⁴⁹ Source: "Spank the Banker" documentary footage and related materials examining systematic banking misconduct.
⁵⁰ Source: Roger Lewis, "WHEN THE TIME COMES? BROKEN LINKS!" - the title of his February 2019 blog post reflecting on digital impermanence and legacy.
⁵¹ Classical Reference: Ovid, Metamorphoses (8 CE), the foundational text for transformation narratives in Western literature, providing the structural and thematic framework for this modern epic.
⁵² Source: Roger Lewis's 2011 blog post mentioning his children Rhiannon (then 5) and Rasmus (then 18 months), representing hope for the future generation.
⁵³ Source: Roger Lewis's opening reflection from "WHEN THE TIME COMES? BROKEN LINKS!" about moral choices between love and fear.
⁵⁴ Source: The sourdough metaphor from The Conquest of Dough, representing continuity of real value and culture despite attempts at destruction.
⁵⁵ Source: Roger Lewis's hope that his words might "speak for me" after death, from his "WHEN THE TIME COMES?" reflection.
⁵⁶ Source: Roger Lewis, "Reality is Infinity is Love is Infinite #POEM" - one of his philosophical/spiritual poems exploring the nature of existence and love.
Additional Explicatory Notes
Literary Structure: This epic follows Ovid's Metamorphoses in its episodic structure, with each "book" containing multiple transformation stories that interconnect thematically. Like Ovid, it moves between mythological/classical references and contemporary events, using transformation as both literal plot device and metaphorical framework.
Documentary Sources: The work extensively draws from real testimonies, particularly the Transparency Task Force event transcript, which provides verbatim quotes from financial industry whistleblowers, parliamentarians, and victims of financial abuse.
Biographical Integration: Roger Lewis's personal journey from property developer to exile/poet/musician provides a central narrative thread, while other real individuals (Paul Carlier, Andrew Bailey, etc.) appear as both historical figures and literary characters.
Mythological Framework: Classical references (Actaeon, Circe, Medusa, Procrustes) provide archetypal patterns for understanding modern financial predation and regulatory failure, suggesting these are eternal human problems rather than merely contemporary issues.
Musical Elements: The Belmont Concerto transcript provides a unique multimedia dimension, with music serving as both literal documentation and metaphorical healing force throughout the narrative.
Digital Archaeology: The theme of "broken links" addresses how digital information disappears while human stories persist, raising questions about historical preservation and institutional memory in the internet age.
Monetary Philosophy: Drawing from Lewis's Conquest of Dough, the work examines the difference between extractive financial systems and generative real economies, using bread/sourdough as metaphor for authentic value creation.
Generational Responsibility: The dedication "for my children, when the time comes" frames the entire work as intergenerational testimony, asking what legacy we leave for future generations and how they will transform our failures into their victories.
Metamorphosis: A Modern Epic
After Ovid, for my children, when the time comes
Prologue: The Broken Links
When I am gone and hopefully forgotten, having achieved minimal disturbance, perhaps this will speak for me— Did I think deeply enough? Did I speak for those suffering injustices? Did I embrace the Love in my heart over the fear that challenged my sense of right and wrong?¹
*"I wasn't there that morning When my Father passed away I didn't get to tell him All the things I had to say"*²
The links are broken now, the websites archived, the testimonies scattered like leaves in autumn wind. But the stories remain, transformed, eternal, waiting to be told again.³
Book I: The Transformation of Truth
The Whistleblower's Lament
In glass-walled offices where modern Midas sits, Paul Carlier spoke truth to power's deaf ears,⁴ His voice echoing through corridors of greed Where golden handshakes silence golden rules.
Like Actaeon who glimpsed Diana's bath,⁵ He saw what mortal eyes should never see— The naked corruption of the money-gods, And for his vision, was torn apart By hounds of law and regulatory spite.
*"We could hear them advising people how to get money from their pensions, citing these things as guaranteed— 'I'll put you down as sophisticated investor'"*⁶
The sophistication manipulation,⁷ Modern Circe's spell that turns Pensioners into swine,⁸ Their life savings transformed Into banker's bonuses, Their trust into fool's gold.
The Blackmore Bond Metamorphosis
In Belmont's halls where Hannah More once walked, (That first feminist who was thrice jilted),⁹ The piano plays her tune again and again—¹⁰ A melody of promises broken, Of guaranteed returns that guarantee Only the guarantor's enrichment.
"Nine point nine guaranteed annual returns, All of it guaranteed by one of the world's Biggest banks"—the siren song¹¹ That lured the elderly to their doom.
Watch how £47 million transforms:¹² From pension pots to nothing, From security to despair, From trust to bitter knowledge That the system serves itself alone.
The FCA's Metamorphosis
Andrew Bailey, once a man perhaps,¹³ Now transformed into something else— Part ostrich (head in sand), Part Janus (two-faced god), Part Pontius Pilate (washing hands).
*"Had we known about LCF we would have acted, but the 600 calls did not make it out of the contact center"*¹⁴
Yet Paul's reports went straight To Bailey, Stewart, Atwood—¹⁵ The trinity of regulatory failure, Who saw no evil, heard no evil, Spoke only evil of the messengers.
Book II: The Conquest of Dough
The Syrian Sourdough
From Aleppo's ruins comes ancient wisdom—¹⁶ Sourdough starter, older than empires, Carried by refugees who understand That bread is life, that culture Lives in fermentation, That some things cannot be destroyed By bombs or bureaucrats.
The dough rises despite the darkness, Transforms flour and water Into sustenance, into hope, Into proof that creation Continues despite destruction.
"Dough is the metaphor for Money"—¹⁷ But which money? The fake fiat That multiplies like cancer, Or the real wealth that feeds The hungry, houses the homeless, Heals the broken?
Bunto's Pantomime
In Sweden's forests, an exile laughs¹⁸ At his former self's pretensions— The property developer turned poet, The capitalist turned critic, The successful man turned seeker.
*"I had a 30-year career on the trading floor of many of the world's largest banks"*¹⁹
But what is success when the system That made you rich Makes others poor? What is wealth when it's built On others' poverty?
The pantomime horse of Lloyd's Bank²⁰ Kicks and brays and stamps But cannot hide the men inside Who pull the strings And count the coins While customers weep.
Book III: The Horizon Scandal
The Postmasters' Calvary
In village post offices across the land, Modern martyrs tend their tills,²¹ Trusted by communities, Betrayed by computers That lie with digital tongues.
"The system says you're short, You must have stolen it"—²² Thus speaks the Horizon god, Infallible in its falsehood, Perfect in its imperfection.
Watch the transformation: Honest postmasters become thieves (In the system's eyes), Pillars of community become pariahs, Servants become scapegoats.
Some transform into prisoners, Some into bankrupts, Some into suicides,²³ All into victims Of algorithmic arrogance.
Fujitsu's Metamorphosis
The Japanese corporation Transforms itself: From technology company To torture device,²⁴ From service provider To destroyer of lives.
Their software becomes Procrustes' bed—²⁵ If the accounts don't fit, The postmaster must be stretched Or chopped to size. The bed is never wrong; The victim always is.
Book IV: The Spank the Banker Revelation
The Documentary Transformation
Samir Mehanović's camera²⁶ Transforms shadows into light, Silence into testimony, Complicity into confession.
*"The biggest bank robbery in UK history— the looting of 100,000 small businesses by their own corporate bankers"*²⁷
The film becomes Medusa's mirror,²⁸ Showing the banking system Its own monstrous face, Turning viewers to stone With the weight of revelation.
But some mirrors are broken, Some films are buried, Some truths are "room 101ed"²⁹ Into non-existence.
The BAFTA Paradox
BAFTA-recognized filmmakers³⁰ Create invisible films, Award-worthy documentaries That no one sees, Truth-telling that tells Only to the already-converted.
The transformation here Is from revelation to concealment, From exposure to burial, From light to shadow.
Book V: The Musical Interlude
The Belmont Concerto
*"Hannah Moore's tune you're going to hear again and again and again"*³¹
In the first movement: The feminist jilted thrice, Her melody of disappointment Echoing through centuries.
In the second movement: Memories in decaying walls, Wartime hospital ghosts, Old folks' home shadows.
In the third movement: Roger and Johanna's love,³² New life in ancient stones, Hope rising from ruins.
*"From Jimmy Hendrix to Gustav Mahler, all sorts, exceptionally eclectic"*³³
Music transforms pain to beauty, Chaos to harmony, Individual suffering To universal song.
Book VI: The Personal Metamorphosis
The Trader's Transformation
*"I was in the property business, had a residential and commercial estate agency in London Docklands"*³⁴
From success to breakdown, From wealth to wisdom, From London to Sweden, From business to music, From taking to giving.
*"When I became a father I cleaned up and found a sense of purpose and responsibility I had never felt before"*³⁵
Children transform us— From self to service, From present to future, From cynicism to hope.
The Guitar as Therapy
*"Mine saves me from the greedy bank"*³⁶
Six strings become lifelines, Frets become freedom, Music becomes medicine For financial wounds.
The guitar transforms: Anger into art, Frustration into melody, Despair into song.
*"Learning to play and actually playing makes me very happy"*³⁷
In Sweden's forests, An exile finds peace In hexaphonic pickups And DSP technology,³⁸ In chord melodies That heal what banks broke.
Book VII: The Regulatory Metamorphosis
The FCA's True Form
Strip away the acronyms, The mission statements, The statutory objectives, And what remains?
A shape-shifter that becomes Whatever power requires: Protector when observed, Predator when alone, Public servant in daylight, Private interest in shadow.
"An institution is the length and shadow of one man"—³⁹ But what if that man Has no shadow, No substance, No soul?
The Complaints Commissioner's Dance
Round and round the carousel goes, Complaints in, rejections out,⁴⁰ A perpetual motion machine That moves nothing, Changes nothing, Achieves nothing But the appearance of process.
The Commissioner transforms: From judge to jury To executioner Of justice itself.
Book VIII: The Victims' Chorus
The Blackmore Bond Holders
*"Charlie invested £20,000 in Blackmore Bond five months after the CEO knew all about it"*⁴¹
Their life savings transform: From security to smoke, From retirement plans To retirement fears, From trust to trauma.
The Small Business Owners
*"100,000 small businesses"*⁴² Become statistics, Entrepreneurs become casualties, Dreams become nightmares, Success stories become Cautionary tales.
Each business death Is a small apocalypse— Jobs lost, families broken, Communities wounded, Trust destroyed.
The Pensioners
*"We could hear them advising people how to get money out of their pension"*⁴³
Golden years become lead, Retirement becomes destitution, Security becomes anxiety, Peace becomes panic.
The transformation is complete: From protected to predated, From citizen to victim, From person to profit.
Book IX: The Systemic Revelation
The Violation Tracker Vision
*"Financial services is top of the list... $330 billion not million... Six or seven times worse than pharmaceuticals"*⁴⁴
The numbers transform Into understanding: This is not accident, Not incompetence, Not isolated incidents, But systematic extraction Of wealth from many To few.
The Cost of Doing Business
Fines become fees, Penalties become prices, Justice becomes joke.
The banks transform Punishment into profit, Regulation into revenue, Law into laughingstock.
*"It is actually a prudent business decision to carry on doing what they're doing"*⁴⁵
Book X: The Metamorphosis of Memory
The Archive of Injustice
In digital vaults, The testimonies gather: Paul Carlier's presentations,⁴⁶ Blackmore bond transcripts,⁴⁷ Horizon scandal evidence,⁴⁸ Spank the Banker footage.⁴⁹
Each document a seed That might grow into justice, Each testimony a thread That might weave into truth, Each story a voice That might sing into change.
The Broken Links
*"When the time comes? Broken links!"*⁵⁰
URLs die, Websites disappear, Evidence vanishes, But stories survive In human memory, In children's inheritance, In poets' words.
The links may break, But the chain continues: From Ovid's transformations⁵¹ To our own, From ancient Rome's corruption To modern Britain's, From mythic gods To financial ones.
Book XI: The Children's Inheritance
For Rhiannon and Rasmus
*"I have two wonderful children Rhiannon 5 and Rasmus 18 months"*⁵²
What world do we leave them? What stories do we tell? What transformations Do we prepare them for?
In Swedish forests, A father plays guitar And dreams of justice, Composes melodies That carry more truth Than regulatory reports.
The Time That Comes
When the time comes— And it always comes— What will they find In our digital ruins? What will they make Of our struggles? How will they transform Our failures Into their victories?
*"Did I embrace the Love in my heart and the empathy in my soul over the fear and the anger?"*⁵³
Book XII: The Eternal Return
The Cycle Continues
New scandals emerge, New victims suffer, New whistleblowers speak, New regulators fail, New politicians promise, New bankers steal.
The wheel turns, The story repeats, The metamorphosis continues.
But something changes too: Awareness grows, Connections form, Voices unite, Truth spreads.
The Sourdough Rises
In kitchens across the world, The ancient starter bubbles,⁵⁴ Transforms flour into bread, Scarcity into abundance, Hunger into satisfaction.
The real economy— Of hands that bake, Hearts that care, Minds that create, Souls that share.
This too is transformation: From greed to generosity, From extraction to creation, From taking to giving, From death to life.
Epilogue: The Poet's Prayer
*"Perhaps this will speak for me"*⁵⁵
Let these words transform: From personal pain To universal truth, From individual story To collective memory, From present suffering To future justice.
Let the broken links Become unbroken chains Of human connection, Of shared struggle, Of common cause.
Let the children inherit Not our failures But our hopes, Not our wounds But our healing, Not our despair But our dreams.
In the end, All things transform: Caterpillars become butterflies, Seeds become forests, Tears become rivers, Stories become legends, Legends become truth.
And truth, Despite all attempts To bury it, Transform it, Destroy it, Remains.
Truth remains. Love remains. Hope remains.
*"Reality is Infinity is Love is Infinite"*⁵⁶
The metamorphosis continues.
For my children, when the time comes. For all children, when their time comes. For the time that always comes.
Finis