Year: 2007

Hot Air? Beware!

/ Greg Asimakoupoulos

Speech lessons from the California fires

The Santa Ana winds down south
(much like the tongue inside your mouth)
can’t be ignored. There’s much at stake.
Don’t minimize the risk.

Just ask someone who lost his home
if he respects the power shone
by gale force breezes from the east
that stole his pride and joy.

And like the Santa Ana winds,
your words have power to offend.
Through gossip, lies and talking trash,
you spread a deadly fire.

Amazingly, your tiny tongue
can render reputations dung.
The things you say can undermine
what took years to construct.

Best think before you start to speak
so you won’t cause a sewer leak.
The breeze emitted by your tongue
has power to destroy.

* based on The Epistle of James 3:3-5

When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.

Fall Classic Magic

/ Greg Asimakoupoulos

Analyzing the hypnotic spell the World Series casts

Crisp fall nights.
Outfield lights.
The “boys of summer” tasting glory
having earned the right.

Horsehide stitch.
Fever pitch.
Those blazing fastballs
warm the evening.
It’s an autumn itch.

Hometown fans.
Peanut-littered stands.
With fingers crossed
for no-hit games,
they pray, too, for grand slams.

Pastime now.
“Holy cow!”
These baseball games
in late October
smooth a wrinkled brow.

Men like boys
with pent-up joys.
Their dreams of childhood
left unrealized
in a trunk of toys.

Yet each year,
like a mirror,
each televised
World Series game brings
what”s forgotten near.

An Insane Dance of Flames

/ Greg Asimakoupoulos

Praying for Divine intervention

The Golden State waltzes with fate.
Her hills are charcoal black.
Earth, wind and fire dance insane
as if they’re high on smack.

Those smokey skies bring tears to eyes
and make it hard to breathe,
while Mother Nature’s forceful breath
has caused a state to grieve.

Lord, thwart the aim of wild flames
that angrily devour
churches, houses, schools and camps
with scorching blazing power.

The Deceiving Beauty of Autumn Leaves

/ Greg Asimakoupoulos

Examining the death of morality in progress

They dangle most delectablylike Eden’s apple did.But neath their orange and reddish hues,a tragic truth is hid. The autumn leaves cling to the tree,but soon each one will fall.Misleading beauty caused by deathinvites us to recall
such colors can seduce our thoughts.
Their beauty is a lie.
They “wow” us with what looks like life
but they themselves have died.

Morality is withering.
God’s standards (slighted) fall.
Our brittle culture (veined by lust)
chants “tolerance is all!”

Indecency in media
is rampant. Porn prevails.
With church attendance in decline,
what flourished once now fails.

The tree is growing naked fast.
Unclothed, ungodly, stark.
The chill of winter can be felt
as brilliance becomes dark.

A Final Waltz with Fate

/ Greg Asimakoupoulos

Remembering a Leaky Fossett

In Fossett’s final waltz with fate,
he’s dancing with the stars.
This billionaire with bucks to burn
was not content with cars.

He loved fast planes, balloons and yachts,
but mostly he loved fame.
His favorite book was Guinesses
wherein he found his name.

Like leaky faucets, Steve was prone
to not know when to quit.
He thirst for recording-breaking feats
left him no time to sit.

It’s kind of sad to realize
adventure was his God.
Just think of all he could have done
by divvying his wad.