THE KEEPERS by BethAnne Kapansky

We all have different ways of being in this world, creating a lovely pool of collective wisdom and spiritual perspectives among us...

I wrote this poem as a reflection on the diverse ways we find meaning and nourishment for our spirits. It celebrates the idea that our wisdom does not come from prescribed ways of thinking, but from our experiences and how those experiences inform our hearts.

Life is rife with possibility and the revelation of the sacred; there is always something new to learn, something numinous to discover. The Keepers is a reflection on life's beautiful mysteries, which have been entrusted to each of us to uncover through our own authentic experiences of self.   

The Keepers

by BethAnne Kapansky

There is no secret 

to happiness.

But there is learning 

to find life where 

you are planted,

and learning how to

breathe in something

bigger, than just yourself.

And there is listening

to the crackle of a fire

on a simple Sunday night 

and getting lost in the 

magic of the moon, then

finding your way home

under it's tender,

burnished gaze.

There is no secret

to love.

But there is learning

to meld with the soul

of another, and knowing

the world becomes lighter

when we laugh together.

And there is exquisite

kindness and putting 

yourself out on that limb

each and every time-

even if it means falling off-

for someday soon I know,

You will learn how 

to catch you. 

There is no secret 

to life. 

But there are great mysteries

who await your finding,

and there are these precious

days whose moments

we can embody. 

And there is learning

to inhabit, your gorgeous

gift of self with all the 

grace and courage and 

utter humanity 

that you can muster. 

There is no secret

other than: 

it's all a secret,

and us the keepers.

And if you stay open,

it will reveal itself to you

in everything that has breath.

In each change and shift

of heartscape.

In every brave act of change.

In anything that you love,

because when you love-

you have surely seen

the face of Life and know 

the benediction of salvation.

In a quiet space of being

under a magic moon,

on a simple Sunday night. 

Katharina Jung Photography

BethAnne Kapansky: I am a Clinical Psychologist enjoying life from my tiny corner of Anchorage, Alaska. I love writing personal essays, composing quirky poetry, and creating whimsical art. I can often be found on top of the nearest mountain or running through the trails of my beloved woods with my little white dog who has the legs of a gazelle and mighty heart of a lion. My work has been published in The Elephant Journal and When Women Waken and used in collaboration with a local dance company to create performance art. I am inspired by nature, rainbows, cake, hearts, the power of women, the thousand faces of love, and the beautiful journey of becoming more fully human. I can be found on Facebook or on my blog: Sunshine in Winter, here. 

~If you are interested in seeing your poetry appear in this blog, or submitting a poem by a woman that has inspired you, please click here for submission guidelines. I greatly look forward to hearing from you!~