I keep waiting for something to happen 
that will give my hope a place to land 
instead of
letting hope land
here
in this precarious place. 

It seemed like a joke. 
The monk chased by a tiger 
comes to a precipice, 
grabs a vine and swings himself over the edge 
and away from the tiger’s grasp. 
He looks down, and far below 
another tiger looks up at him and paces hungrily. 
Meanwhile, two mice gnaw away the vine. 
At that moment, he spies
a strawberry growing nearby. 
What does he do? 
He eats the strawberry. 
And it’s the sweetest one 
he’s ever tasted. 

It isn’t a joke. 
It’s my life 
and yours. 

We all want a stronger vine, 
a secure ledge, 
a life without tigers and cliffs, 
and You give us 
strawberries, 
the sweetest moments we’ve ever tasted.
As we take and eat, 
our eyes are opened. 

The One who gives strawberries 
will also catch us 
when the mice have had their fill. 

Some people trust the power of chariots or horses,
but we trust you, Lord God..
–Psalm 20:7 (CEV)

Credits and References: 
Strawberry by Michael Frank Franz. Used with permission. 
Letting Hope Land by Esther Hizsa, 2025.
Strawberries by Paul Istoan. Used with permission.

© Esther Hizsa, An Everyday Pilgrim, 2025.
The unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without permission from Esther Hizsa is prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used provided there is a link to the original content and credit is given as follows: © Esther Hizsa, An Everyday Pilgrim 2013-2025.  http://www.estherhizsa.com