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.
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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.

Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
, I1 {2 C9 ]% V9 t2 {4 B- a4 w A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
. T# L4 z3 K7 W) ]( t But just a very small stone.
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, s) A1 j2 I5 A1 W! ?1 |; i The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
$ K$ W/ t/ L2 ]( n1 J( i7 n Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
, I9 s' ?, P2 \: A( l* p. G Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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The pebble creates its worth and meaning
2 i% h  }2 s% O9 b* h4 ~ By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
" p" l: K; ]; E7 F Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
$ Q2 m& @% ^. T7 M9 \, t2 O But ultimately recognizing
- N0 W7 n& J" t% I That who we are meant to be
: Z9 v9 d% b6 Z/ l Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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2 s: e) B/ m5 Y% [% H8 O  U* S It is true then:
Our everlasting future
6 y/ T; ~. _: [9 I9 w$ s/ H Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
2 h' H( B) R% s Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
5 u1 ?$ u5 O; v$ z5 b that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
# h0 S/ ^8 Z& k& S+ | not because of well meaning plans
: _. p+ @0 u" A, _2 G- @ But because of actions.
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$ p' A' q3 ~( {9 o Our life's prayers our answered
* h' w6 R1 r! f! h+ f7 A/ T Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
% {& ^( Q: A* Q: }" e* T0 }1 i Changes the course of the lives
) ^2 V* r& Q) A2 s Of those we touch.?
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And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
, L9 G2 v- e" ~" m6 t& c$ O, I$ d' `% K9 k The world will never be the same.
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; g" ]) M% p6 H7 z And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
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