"As the Hind That Longs," poetry

Revised Edition: LukivPress (Victoria, BC), 2022. Introduction Traditionally, the 150 psalms-songs, praises to Jehovah-have been divided into five books (Book 1, Psalms 1 to 41; Book 2, 42 to 72 [this collection: "As the Hind That Longs"]; Book 3, 73 to 89; Book 4, 90 to 106; and Book 5, 107 to 150). Moses (poet-prophet-songwriter) began the work. But not until over one thousand years later, in the postexilic2 days of 460 BCE, did this emotionally charged book of prophecy that celebrates Jehovah's grandeur and "dynamic energy" and mighty acts of fame come to its close. An excerpt Chapter 50 He swallows another gulp
Of the red wine,
Not quite vinegar,
And tells her, his once-young wife
Now grey, her back curved, "Ha! Ha! Ha! I am king of Babylon!
Of Assyria! Of Egypt!" Again he
Swallows, while his silent wife
Watches: "The bulls that paw and
Snort-mine! The creatures of
The forest-mine! The jackal,
The animals that burrow, the mice
And mole rats and jerboas-mine!"
He waves his drink before her,
Mother of grown children,
And his eyes grow wide in the light
Of the burning wick between them:
"You-mine! This plastered house-
Mine! The little hoopoe that flies
To Egypt-mine! I am a king! All the
He-goats-mine!" Again he waves his
Drink. "Ha!" He swallows. He smacks
His lips together, and his angry eyes
Warn her to keep the peace,
To lose another battle. And inside
Her skin her heart screams: "Nabal! Nabal! Nabal!" which is
Not his name. 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).