"The Words of the Congregator," poetry

Seven poems in this collection appeared under the covering title of At the Home (published by Poetry Magazine [USA], 2000, and by LukivPress [Canada], 2003). Revised Edition: LukivPress (Canada), 2022. Introduction Written over 3000 years ago, Ecclesiastes explores man's self-indulgent pursuit of pleasure and material gain, both fleeting, and in terms of spiritual beauty, futile. But the book also explores his unselfish pursuit of spiritual riches such as Godly wisdom and knowledge and obedience, none of which, in a spiritual sense, are futile. Themes therein, especially in view of how pleasure and material gain can leave with the tide, encourage readers to consider the following question: What truly endures? A man's breath? No. People die. A woman's beauty? No. People get old, their skin wrinkles, their hair grows thin and grey. Morning vapours upon a pasture? Certainly not. The sun dries up mists upon the field. What truly endures, then? Consider the inspired words of Solomon, writer of Ecclesiastes: "Fear the true God and keep his commandments" (12:13). They remind us that loyalty to God, for the faithful who love Godly wisdom, knowledge and obedience, lasts, or endures, forever (Jehovah's never-ending loyalty to his servants implied). An excerpt Chapter 2 Vanity,
With its belly in the grave,
Soars with birds,
Climbs higher than thoughts,
Even prayers The author Dan Lukiv, published in 19 countries, is a poet, novelist, columnist, short story and article writer, and independent education researcher (hermeneutic phenomenology). As a creative writer, he apprenticed with Canada's Professor Robert Harlow (recipient of the George Woodcock Achievement award for an outstanding literary career), the USA's Paul Bagdon (Spur Award finalist for Best Original Paperback), and England's D. M. Thomas (recipient of the Cheltenham Prize for Literature, Orwell Prize [biography], Los Angeles Fiction Prize, and Cholmondeley award for poetry). He attended The University of British Columbia (creative writing department), the acclaimed Humber School for Writers (poetry writing program), and Writer's Digest University (novel writing program).