Heaven

khfacdgku

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.
. K8 p' O* Y* S* g, d
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.
& C6 k& A% w$ Y. u! P
Heaven
  N6 \1 [! W- ~" R3 Y The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
$ h4 ?! i3 ]6 G& ^' Q8 k) ]0 ^- n A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
) U3 }# L/ _# x3 U5 @+ z" u An accidental offspring of a boulder
7 p: ?% {8 @9 J$ n. Q But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
3 Q/ T; `( p) b1 k- h; W7 C But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
6 A# w, T/ l  ^: c Its insignificance is transformed
4 O2 E5 p$ g. q# s) @4 \ Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
/ m* a% w2 ]5 b) w. k Gently affecting everything in its wake
4 k3 Z: R* e/ g6 M4 h Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
+ o2 f0 ?* z8 e. ]# e Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
2 K& @7 Q6 I/ \/ G  R1 v2 ]
4 Y2 ~0 Z2 F5 y4 w Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
! n5 u8 S7 l/ j That who we are meant to be
5 R1 R# k# \% A9 o4 d! E Can never be measured in isolation
3 Z: c' s" p, P; u/ T7 X- t on a path into ourselves.

6 ]+ X/ `0 T0 q8 M0 F* R It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
# p: P) r. R$ J0 X) ^. b) M9 V Creating ripples
+ ]4 B) @9 f$ Z. ~4 v& [ that leave unique mark on our world
7 J6 N2 g3 v3 i( c. S# m6 K Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
" K, B; h2 D& r9 w( v3 Y Because even the smallest pebble
3 P: A3 K% x* M& k- L9 F No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
/ P- r- t, ^$ n7 q; M. A- v Of those we touch.?
( v$ D9 ]: W/ \( f
4 e5 i5 s2 A0 S$ @5 D# ? And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
/ q1 `5 B- }7 v' w We will gently leave this life
$ m9 f0 M& N' R, Q/ l6 s With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
4 c6 ?( l3 p+ M; x: ^5 g3 x2 ~ The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03