Heaven

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Seven years ago I was asked by a friend if I was "religious and if I believed in God?" As a (formerly) practicing agnostic I quickly answered:"no." However, I defended myself by explaining that I lived my life according to universal principals of "right and wrong" (as I understood them). Because I believed that our deeds create a lasting effect on the world, I felt confident in my everlasting future. In other words, I wasn't worried about there being a heaven or not. I told my friend that when I die, I am banking on knowing that my impact on the world will be ever lasting. My "heaven" will ultimately be the creation of the the sum total of all my actions.

I will never forget my friend's response: he looked at me with glassy eyes, and told me how deeply spiritual I was. I didn't see it. It took five more years to see what he meant. Such was the inspiration of the following poem I wrote.
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Heaven
7 {6 a2 O! i" F- e The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
3 |% M3 O) U- H( e4 [ A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
% y( d" Z7 U0 \3 i& C/ y' J1 Y A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
" e0 ]8 P; r, x- h+ Q' G! \$ | An accidental offspring of a boulder
% _! r: i/ {9 a7 \ But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
5 a, L' ^6 @* h4 y3 J# I Is neither understood nor appreciated
5 M8 C- \8 m( i( D! `' ~9 J  c But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
0 l: B# k  Y$ L" V# i$ v. O' H+ o. ]- G Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
0 B- r4 X6 p6 K! i  X2 y
) o' g1 z4 @0 D* `: Z The instant the pebble kisses the pond
5 Q. o2 D' ?7 f8 _ Its signature of concentric ripples
5 S/ x0 A1 ?$ K Spiral outwards
& t# W& @8 y( m3 ]6 G Moving far beyond itself.
1 V8 C* @/ Q" C9 j! E Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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The pebble creates its worth and meaning
' \$ B; B5 O! x By unleashing its unimagined power?
6 O$ e; }8 w  p' M7 y3 n* x Into a dueling force of action and reaction
# x6 w0 a7 l1 f( f  B; I Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
; `7 I4 q. r- V: h$ }, E Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
8 l0 Y! s: n5 _( A7 [ That who we are meant to be
9 w! v9 e- F9 f3 y6 k! u Can never be measured in isolation
5 u. e) F9 L: m' J on a path into ourselves.

" {( \/ f- k( q4 z It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
% L7 M" X1 I- L, ]) L8 x5 W% P not because of well meaning plans
6 u3 e! D' T1 i" k* ^ But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
% @; b2 Q* `1 x Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
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And when the icy winds of death
# Y" x2 [5 j! B" Z- v, X0 ?" }8 n7 ] beckon our lasting attention
- `- u) V! v5 G6 G' n2 R9 T0 X' g We will gently leave this life
7 D5 T; g  p# h With the knowledge that
9 x% F& w9 D4 W+ K3 B  g because of that one pebble
( x% a' X/ Y( y. X$ d. I; w The world will never be the same.
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% s1 m( n. X4 y* z, a5 g5 n And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03