Category Archives: Poetry

Keep Watching

Posted on July 15, 2022 by Esther Hizsa

I lean my head against Love’s chest,match the rhythm of Her breath,and enter the darkness. The light hurts my eyes. I see what others have done thatI haven’t.I notice habits I have thatthey don’t.I watch myself lose myselfdisappearand want a world with … Continue reading →

Posted in compassion, False Self, Poetry, Prayer, Reflections | Tagged blackberries, Ed Dahl, Esther Hizsa, Jessie Wilcox Smith, Krista Tippett, Moonbeams, My Grandmother's Hands, On Being, Resmaa Menakem, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver | 1 Comment

Dark Thoughts

Posted on July 8, 2022 by Esther Hizsa

I know the dark thoughtsthat keep you awake at night It can’t be true.But what if it is? There is no peaceturning one wayor the other. This is too much for you to bear, my love. Come inside.Let me wrap … Continue reading →

Posted in compassion, Poetry, Reflections | Tagged Dark NIght, Eric Verleene., Esther Hizsa, Matthew Kane, Psalm 131:2, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, St. John of the Cross, Steve Bell, Summer Saturday Moon, Teresa of Avila, The Dark Night of the Soul | 4 Comments

Love Asks for More

Posted on July 1, 2022 by Esther Hizsa

Love always asks more of us.–Wendy J. MacLean Love always asks more of us. Love didn’t ask me to say yes to everything.Love asked me why I wanted to. Love didn’t ask me to shove my fear aside and trust.Love … Continue reading →

Posted in compassion, Poetry, Reflections | Tagged Ephesians 5:2, Esther Hizsa, I Corinthians 13, Ivan Rusyn, love, Luke 15:11-31, Mary Hynes, Micah 6:8, Mother Teresa, Oliver Twist, On Small Wings, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Tapestry, Theophilos Papadopoulos, Ukraine, Wendy J. MacLean | Leave a comment

Home Again

Posted on June 17, 2022 by Esther Hizsa

I love our camping adventures–being outsideexploring by bikehiking trails to a viewsipping wine from a jarwatching flames turn to coalsmusing about what we forgotand how we made docozy and warm in our tentgrateful for tarps and when the rain comes … Continue reading →

Posted in Creation, Poetry, Reflections | Tagged Baldy Mountain Sorrento, Braiding Sweetgrass, camping, Esther Hizsa, Mary Oliver, Panthercap, Robin Wall Kimmerer, Shuswap Lake Provincial Park, Sometimes, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver | Leave a comment

In the Heart of the Beloved

Posted on May 20, 2022 by Esther Hizsa

When readers open my new book, I invite them to open it up and flip it over. In the introduction, I wrote: Look at the whole cover. Take in the beauty of the image: vibrant pink, glowing edges, green stem, … Continue reading →

Posted in In the Heart of the Beloved, Poetry, Reflections, Stories, Writing | Tagged Esther Hizsa, In the Heart of the Beloved, Nan C. Merrill, Psalm 23, Psalms for Praying, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Stories of an Everyday Pilgrim Volume 3, Sylvia Sassen | Leave a comment

The Gift

Posted on May 13, 2022 by Esther Hizsa

“Love you,” one of my beloveds said. I held these two wordsin disbelief and wonder.I wasn’t expecting a hug goodbyeor even a glance back.That didn’t meanI wasn’t hoping for it.Now, I was holding the giftI’d wanted for so long. For … Continue reading →

Posted in compassion, Poetry, Reflections | Tagged Burnaby Mountain, Esther Hizsa, Hug the Mountain, Louise Docker, Love Heart, pattern of sunshine on stone wall, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, spodzone, Steve Garnaas-Holmes, Sunlight, Trans Mountain Pipeline, trust | 2 Comments

Release, Receive and Return

Posted on May 6, 2022 by Esther Hizsa

For days after I heard how my words wounded another, I was visited with the recurring judgment that I was a bad person, an unsafe person. I was shrouded in shame until God found me through a Lenten reflection on … Continue reading →

Posted in Easter, False Self, Poetry, Reflections, Stories | Tagged Esther Hizsa, Living from the Heart, Nan C. Merrill, Psalm 23:3, Richard Bott, Rivendell Labyrinth, SoulStream, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver | 2 Comments

Resurrection Is Personal

Posted on April 17, 2022 by Esther Hizsa

Resurrectionisn’t just about living forever.It’s about living nowand how we pick up our cross,go through deathand becomea new revised version of ourselves.Resurrection is personal. This Easter, I entered the tombafter denying Christ in me three times.Three times I was Judas. … Continue reading →

Posted in compassion, Easter, Holy Week, Poetry, Reflections | Tagged Andrey Mironov, Easter, Esther Hizsa, resurrection, Resurrection of Lazarus, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver | 3 Comments

This Good Friday

Posted on April 15, 2022 by Esther Hizsa

Crucifixion by Ukrainian artist Natalya Rusetskain You take in all our sufferingfeelevery violent act every hope destroyedeach final breath. From the crossyou seethrough our denialand delusions.No justification dares return your gaze. From the crossyour eyesfind ours. In them, we seeloveforgivenessGod with … Continue reading →

Posted in compassion, Easter, Poetry, Reflections | Tagged crucifixion, Esther Hizsa, Good Friday, Natalya Rusetskain, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Ukraine | 4 Comments

The Standoff

Posted on April 8, 2022 by Esther Hizsa

Such a familiar place,this standoff betweenthe part of me that wants to andthe part that doesn’t I can list all the good reasons why I need to do thisbut something in me has shut the door leans her body against it and yells, … Continue reading →