Politics

The Donkey King’s Temper Tantrum

/ Greg Asimakoupoulos

Questioning Clinton’s right to criticize

Temper, temper, Mr. Clinton.
Look at how you lost your cool.
Donkey King, you were a jackass.
Kicking foxes? What a mule!

Temper, temper, Mr. Clinton.
Who are you to come unglued?
Ms. Lewinski had your focus,
not that tall bin-Laden dude

Temper, temper, Mr. Clinton.
You who call the kettle black
You who stir the stew of rancor
bubbling about Iraq.

Temper, temper, Mr. Clinton.
Tantrums like you just displayed
cause us to reveal your foibles
and discount your pious bray.

Deep Throat Comes Forward

/ Greg Asimakoupoulos

Why others need to too

A Federal informant
with tattles to tell
divulged off the record
the truth he knew well.

His deep-throated whispers
three decades ago
led Woodward and Bernstein
to pave Nixon’s woe.

His secrets uncovered
the lies we’d been told.
And though he was nameless,
we knew he was bold.

Deep Throat blew the whistle
on white collar crime.
He dared to be daring
and pointed out grime.

The world needs more like him
who’ll stand up to wrong.
Who won’t bow to pressure
no matter how long.

It also needs Woodwards
who’ll vow not to snitch
and then keep their word
rather than getting rich.

In short, we need voices
who’ll say what some hate.
Who’ll recognize scandals
and cry “Watergate.”

The Sanctity of Office and of Life

/ Greg Asimakoupoulos

A poet’s look at Inauguration Thursday and Sanctity of Life Sunday

A Post-Inaugural Prayer
Kneeling in prayer for our sitting President

This Thursday past, our President
was sworn in once again.
Most gracious God, we intercede
for Laura and for him.

With his two hands he voiced his vows.
He raised his right hand high.
But with his left, he palmed a Book
that answers every why.

Allow that Book to be his guide
throughout the next four years.
In spite of those who will object,
help George deflect their jeers.
 
With solemn swear, he sought Thy help
while we watched on TV.
Lord, let him sense Thy presence near
whenever he seeks Thee.

Preserve him, Lord. Protect his heart.
Defend him from attacks
as he stands up for truth and life
and brings old values back.

A Choice to Make
Being pro-life has to do with more than just unborn babies.

There’s a choice that we are given
every day we live our lives.
Will we disregard the helpless
or make sure they will survive?

Those at risk hide in the shadows
robbed of justice with no voice.
Will we speak up for these victims?
That’s the question. That’s our choice.

In a womb or in an alley,
in South Asia or Iraq,
there are victims close to dying
who need more than Christian talk.

They are persons in God’s image
and as humans, they should live.
They cry out for liberation,
but they’re silenced lest we give

of our time (our precious hours),
of our wealth (we all are rich),
of our heart’s preoccupation
(being done with envy’s itch).

We’ve been called as liberators
to release the overlooked.
It’s a mission we’ve been given
specified in God’s own book.

But this question begs an answer.
Is our willingness a ruse?
Or will we prove our intentions
by our actions? We must choose.

A Mad Man Misunderstood

/ Greg Asimakoupoulos

Yasser Arafat reconsidered

Forgive us Yasser Arafat.

Though you were dubbed an Arab rat,
you were a person loved by God
whom we misunderstood.

How could we understand your plight?
You were convinced that you were right.
And maybe, sir, you were correct
more often than we thought.

How could we fully understand
your passion to possess The Land?
We’ve always had a place that we
can freely call our home.

How could we understand your hate
for those who made Israel a state?
We never have been forced to leave
to wander aimlessly.

How could we understand your schemes
when terror leveled walls and beams?
We’ve rarely known the hopelessness
that comes when justice dies.

How could we understand your pain
when peace talks proved to be in vain
and you were branded arrogant
when others also were.

We came to understand too late
why those who loved you thought you great.
Beneath the head scarf that you wore
there was a brilliant mind.

Fishing for Votes

/ Greg Asimakoupoulos

Why presidential debates are the reel deal

Da bait’s on da hook.
But who’s gonna bite?
Da fish on da left?
Or da fish on da right?

Da rivers and lakes
are teaming with trout
as both John and George
eye da poles that they tout.

Ol’ Kerry’s been fishin’
a very long time.
He knows how to cast
though he’s dressed to da nines.

But Bush is quite awkward.
His lines tend to snag.
He’s much more at ease
when he’s hoisting a flag.

On opposite banks
these fishermen stand
from jobs to Iraq
to a partial-birth ban.

A river divides them
on health-care and guns,
gay couple unions
and troop-support funds.

Each man seeks his limit
and each will not quit
’til all fish are counted
on hooks or in nets.