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.

+ g3 c( A' Z- Y, _5 f Heaven
  M: G) R6 @3 } The pebble is worn smooth
9 L& a  C& x9 |- f+ y8 s Made small over time
7 ~( F0 l- |) ?$ y% H* _, t0 u A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
9 v3 A9 T& \$ x& v( W A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
2 B* z# Y$ H: A" a% x An accidental offspring of a boulder
9 t& H7 m  K8 ?. a. h/ M' Y' K! r7 R But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
2 ], K: Z# O2 G9 H But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
8 d7 C( ^8 y; }! C, ?9 b Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
/ `! ?# K# [1 B5 X0 W6 W( X
6 S0 K6 o5 k; Y/ L The instant the pebble kisses the pond
+ I6 T8 M) c* F# d  @  K( V# `( ` Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
  o, S% _( n5 S" a Moving far beyond itself.
# ]0 I/ Q! R' U1 K& Z" Y3 J Gently affecting everything in its wake
+ u6 C9 O$ Y9 s3 u4 E Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
1 G% d, ~% x8 K3 m2 @
% ]7 m) F- x3 @ The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
8 R6 ^) b7 B; q7 E0 V* v Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
* v/ c  h: }4 d That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
+ r( g/ o4 R0 V, C( n/ ] Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
+ i- r5 N! K( P* e9 q; ?5 P, ~ not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

% ?4 M/ g3 j; N3 l6 @+ l Our life's prayers our answered
* {6 c$ B1 J! ^' S+ { Because even the smallest pebble
. t, \2 A' n1 {  T( t No matter how seemingly insignificant
& E6 u9 G; S5 z% t/ [ Changes the course of the lives
) C; O  w6 Z* v' C9 e8 ?+ T Of those we touch.?

3 M. l, f$ ]8 e2 f1 N And when the icy winds of death
( v7 V% p2 o1 X! l/ K: W beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
. D1 ]3 D& b- p# _% `& L With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
' S$ m' S7 G' R The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …

% u3 A" m* F8 C% M1 u Ross Rosenberg
+ ?7 ]1 J- i" T* x5 B/ X! m7 | 8/18/03