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.

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.
: |* [6 O  R- _' |: f2 C
Heaven
3 d1 E: R3 _! K* ^# z The pebble is worn smooth
7 i. }# M! b0 c' X/ T* ?! G3 A Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
" A# j& v0 x4 B! q# V Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
/ V# e2 L* g( \/ C6 F: b$ L Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
& y7 O! L+ {; ?- Q0 a Spiral outwards
( d& m$ c$ ]* l5 @; i$ S' F Moving far beyond itself.
4 }4 |2 o9 V# @+ S; F Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

) g3 s* M& @& t8 M The pebble creates its worth and meaning
  J# L. m2 ~: D By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
% k# y* J% W/ d5 C  N
6 l- d3 x  Y# \ Aren't we all pebbles?
% z' B, H* i0 m Feeling small and insignificant
! m* x' ^* r% n/ r) |5 ~ But ultimately recognizing
8 {2 }- E* h, C) ~! J That who we are meant to be
/ \2 {, i' e1 l9 _5 R4 T' j/ e; Y Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
) G5 U* c& z; M, j+ Z
* r& g/ e& ~0 T$ I It is true then:
Our everlasting future
; T4 S% @2 h+ s2 K Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
% Y1 d% m, V; Z) O7 I* i* H3 c Into the pond of life
2 W+ n/ o, z: n; z Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
5 S) a; }6 F  l* l' p
8 l9 m2 z' e: s& k- p Our life's prayers our answered
- v! z: j8 ^0 Z" k5 y; D* I3 q Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

8 G  G/ s# K2 |/ j; [. k: W And when the icy winds of death
7 p7 v0 o/ ?; U; T- z beckon our lasting attention
; b: w/ |* d! i* b We will gently leave this life
4 a0 [0 G# b5 x1 o% i2 j With the knowledge that
  A$ U0 J4 s. l3 F because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

- a6 ~2 d  b: o! x; p' K And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
7 M, w3 s0 _0 F* ]5 C) S 8/18/03