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.
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Heaven
$ Q+ G+ N! p& G! \2 r The pebble is worn smooth
2 M: p& q! a. P# k1 o Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
- B' V0 ~, i# | An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

7 f. v3 x- e7 f7 Y$ g: `# w6 e The pebble's place in our world
1 c: `8 D9 `; v Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
% d4 {2 v* n0 Q# X Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

- L: {8 j& Y4 N9 f The instant the pebble kisses the pond
/ d& Z" ]& w2 f8 _5 a& C Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
8 h* p* [3 z4 |" ~* F/ `0 Y. ` Gently affecting everything in its wake
- d6 G8 _5 N! R, i Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

' x, c) T) y6 f7 ]3 D The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
0 W( U* Q% h" k4 W9 h, D' i4 A; @ Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
" m' F# }3 g9 Z! D: U4 M Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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( P( u5 S5 d9 R3 q  R Aren't we all pebbles?
* q3 U. K$ D3 R Feeling small and insignificant
3 [" f; N! W1 v% W But ultimately recognizing
1 j, T, O0 k9 [, g  n& L That who we are meant to be
. m- X  }0 }: M; v; _ Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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3 i; c% ]5 X6 x  Y0 m& N2 P0 p It is true then:
Our everlasting future
. `2 E: |# _1 k! { Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
# C2 \$ @2 n" `0 d5 A& g5 n Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
! ?: |& \' A, G1 G7 ]3 f that leave unique mark on our world
7 _, ?$ Y3 B: ~- X2 c8 m& V Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
: g  `, [& b  t: s But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
( v; H1 K! u+ A, K& r3 [! r! [- J( z No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
4 i* E% y5 s2 x; W; X; j Of those we touch.?

6 l  w- t. V3 `' v And when the icy winds of death
) b  ?+ r% i" b0 g; u* }: { beckon our lasting attention
5 u) A* l- C4 W& d" G0 e5 _ We will gently leave this life
" w/ q# J/ l% d3 w: s% Q With the knowledge that
" J; R4 ]/ L% Y3 s% B. j) b7 f% S because of that one pebble
" ^/ |& w/ c0 K5 h6 }( y1 V The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …
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' r2 Y5 [5 c0 } Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03