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
; Z' f1 Q' h- _/ R: K* H9 ` The pebble is worn smooth
- h( G" [5 Y5 S7 F9 y, Q Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
! k3 y/ V! N; S6 N/ `! y$ I- @ A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
7 P- `$ x- R& x' S1 V5 y* T An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
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  h! }" U- _4 Q) J The pebble's place in our world
. c8 p/ `. u' Z: e Is neither understood nor appreciated
6 g; b6 f; X1 e But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
0 s) m* W& f! W Its insignificance is transformed
/ C2 s. ~/ b  d( ~2 ] Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
- D$ M# F1 G3 z% s5 G* [' f7 M! d+ H5 l Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
0 ~' z1 s, U  Z6 W Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
1 t5 l( K" G+ n% L1 p
7 G) h; r. |+ N The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
* S+ k) ^. P- ~- F Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
/ B: J# m% w: l- @% D Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
9 s  D* n! ]. g: n8 G8 @/ I# u
! _8 U. X# U: Q0 {) `" `+ X Aren't we all pebbles?
" K9 n" D  M9 Q5 W8 k4 Y1 f; |* `2 W1 f Feeling small and insignificant
* h  G9 n+ B, _  v! p( i" x! k But ultimately recognizing
5 _! j$ Q2 W! L That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
3 e3 T$ F4 r# w/ L1 z$ |3 i& p on a path into ourselves.

/ L+ L2 r7 |5 X# V# d1 d/ b8 _ It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
0 o8 X3 k: P! i/ o5 \5 Z Creating ripples
) M9 ?/ o0 g  ]& _1 i* l that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
  {; Y( V2 \4 n But because of actions.

0 m2 G3 E! w) h8 M6 C0 o% m Our life's prayers our answered
9 q0 @3 ^2 `9 Q/ q$ h+ P- j* t( q, F Because even the smallest pebble
' e# Q- E, }$ g$ Z5 a: @- f No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
; E# d; s) K; h3 ~9 V. [ Of those we touch.?
; Z( e3 Y' {% L* x  U  M8 ^; ]/ X3 G3 \
. \1 P4 k6 @$ C6 ~% E And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
7 u( s, I/ l: e+ V5 g- B8 F) P We will gently leave this life
( }1 O+ }- E! R/ \9 L4 v With the knowledge that
! X& Q6 u) e& X' O1 m  K- L; E because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

$ V7 p" j6 A1 e/ S0 e5 { And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
& \* i: i7 `8 j6 u6 M% @7 i6 ~: o 8/18/03