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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' e2 Q5 w' k2 U9 T/ k0 A3 B 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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, |  K" o* @+ F  S! Y8 ]$ M Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
7 w& t0 Q+ i' ~  f% O A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
  j$ z, ?) _; a1 D9 e A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
( a. W: `" i6 {% s$ I/ h An accidental offspring of a boulder
6 N* I9 e' J7 F But just a very small stone.
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% a% X# d. F- P: ^; f2 U. { The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
$ C: }$ @2 ~4 k; P, X1 F7 Z But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
  W1 }2 |' A- ?# ]5 U# P7 m% A Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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5 K7 l0 p" o! j; U9 Q0 n The instant the pebble kisses the pond
/ K: G$ k7 l' a/ k. p Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
8 n" G$ W" S( M$ _1 E; b- ~, z Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
" `; q9 [) H9 d, u+ x! S Into a dueling force of action and reaction
4 h) X& W+ |, ` Creating karmic energy
# |$ w( m6 D( k: o9 m Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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Aren't we all pebbles?
7 |1 |2 t, t6 ]1 x Feeling small and insignificant
4 s8 @3 J$ f- p4 b9 J3 J/ a% F9 g But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
& d7 y1 m. P+ `- @- q8 f' ?7 ~ Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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) H  T( Z1 T8 N1 i. r+ N It is true then:
0 r, h! d* ]! `2 ~2 I$ f( @. q Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
" l9 ^  h. r! ^5 O Into the pond of life
5 j9 u; O* x1 T8 f- T# P Creating ripples
( d1 J9 o  s2 G, I2 b. g; Y9 i; M that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
( e; Z4 h4 c5 U  O$ t& g) Y But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
0 I4 @1 x; i1 o! c; ^; W  S Because even the smallest pebble
  p+ F; C7 i. ^8 O No matter how seemingly insignificant
* `/ o' F. e: g$ C Changes the course of the lives
( z6 G' u  ^* U/ V' A* {+ R Of those we touch.?

) N- Z2 s5 Y6 w And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
1 ]9 d( t8 w' j5 V! M. \ We will gently leave this life
9 O) s1 O5 g- U. O! W& }; p With the knowledge that
+ N3 M# \5 I/ c5 _6 p( Z because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
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  ]; l8 \; i9 K1 E( O- q$ \$ V And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03