Politics

From Refugee to Royalty

/ Greg Asimakoupoulos

Remembering the remarkable Madeleine Albright

When it comes to American royalty,
she checked all the boxes.
Her amazing life
was a fairytale come true.

As a child refugee,
whose grandparents were victims
of the holocaust,
she saluted Lady Liberty
with allegiance in her heart
and a twinkle in her eye.

She elevated the role of secretary
to a whole new level.
She broached serious subjects
with integrity and dignity.

Madeleine Albright
was regal on every level.
Her face and her jewelry
sparkled with grace.
Her name called attention
to her brilliance.

This diminutive diva
on the world stage
was a rock star in global affairs.
She towered over her peers
with Katanji-like class.

Though slight in height,
we looked up to her.
While she stood only 4’10” high,
she was tall enough
to shatter a glass ceiling.

With John Glenn,
Madeleine Albright lived a legacy
that was out of this world.

As we look up to the heavens tonight,
let us thank God
for this princess of peace
who illuminated our world for good
and gave our daughters
a role model to which to aspire.

Peace to her memory!

A Prayer for Peace

/ Greg Asimakoupoulos
Lighting a candle for peace against the backdrop of war

God of all nations,
I give You thanks
for the country I call home
where liberty is prized,
justice is pursued
and freedoms are protected.

On this bright sunny day where I live,
the dark clouds of war
threaten peace far away.
I pray for those whose lives and liberties
are in grave danger.

Surround President Zelenskyy of Ukraine
with wise counsel.
Provide a hedge of protection
for his people in harm’s way.

Give the vulnerable courage.
Infuse the fearful with faith.
Heal those who’ve been wounded.
Honor the memories of those who have died.
Comfort the grieving.

Would You grant our President
and other leaders of the free world
the means to work together
for a peaceful resolution
to this complicated bloodshed?

Would You prevent this regional conflict
from becoming a world war?

Would You remind us of the lessons
painfully learned from past wars
that are too-easily and too-quickly forgotten?

Would You use this chaotic frightening scenario
as a means of opening our eyes, ears and hearts
to You and one another?

These things I seek and ask in Your holy name. Amen.

Out of Many, One

/ Greg Asimakoupoulos
It’s more than a motto on our money

Current events define us as a people.
But does the currency we carry in our pockets?

E Pluribus Unum.

It’s engraved on our money
that accounts for our wealth as a nation.
A wealth that has little to do
with our gross national product.
It doesn’t relate all that much
to the interest rates or market shares.
And it’s really not indicative of
saving plans,
pension funds
or even things we own.

E. Pluribus Unim

It’s a little three-word Latin phrase
that we haven’t lived up to recently.
It’s high time we heeded this motto
that has held us together in low times.
It’s time we remembered we will only thrive
when we celebrate our oneness
in the midst of diversity.

A Tribute to the Kid from Kansas

/ Greg Asimakoupoulos
He modeled how the right and left can work together

Like the pineapple
with which we typically associate the name of Dole,
the kid from Russell, Kansas
could be prickly on the outside.

Bob Dole knew how to protect himself.
He had a sharp wit.
He did not suffer fools gladly.
But once you got inside his skin,
you’d quickly discover that
he was as sweet as they come.
This wounded veteran from middle America,
empathized with the common man.
This admired Senator was a born leader.
He became an American hero.

A man who spoke his mind,
Bob had the innate ability
to dole out both criticisms
and affirmations when deserved.

But unlike Paul Hollywood
(of The Great British Bakeoff fame),
this one whose death we grieve today
would never extend the right hand of fellowship.
His injuries from a righteous war
left him with the use of his right side.
Bob would have to learn to write with a hand
that had never previously held a pen.

This remarkable man would also teach us
what it meant to be ambidextrous in terms of relationship.
He was a capable of friendship with those
on both sides of the aisle.

Did I mention that a woman
by the name of Elizabeth
became the queen of his heart?
And from this earthly monarch,
Bob discovered what it meant
to submit to the rule of Heaven’s King.
As a loyal subject,
this kid from Kansas came to understand
what it means to be a child of God.

Peace to his memory!

The White House Race is a Mud Bowl

/ Greg Asimakoupoulos

Just how low can they go?

Trump’s “locker room talk” in the Bush league
was disgraceful, demeaning and lewd.
And his running back (Mike Pence) is pensive
from his quarterback’s comments most crude.

Still Hillary isn’t much better.
She’s been intercepted a lot.
And those emails ruled out-of-bounds clearly
were illegal. Good thing she got caught.

This gridiron game is a mud bowl.
What’s slung by each team should be flagged.
The offensive lines are insulting.
They’re enough to make anyone gag.

Where’s the NFL commissioner when you need him?