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.

- q6 p  G3 w  c5 \& q% l2 y' n, e  @: t# w Heaven
6 _0 C) m4 T: V1 P) I The pebble is worn smooth
- |2 V" W1 x9 h4 q( c Made small over time
) P+ t. d3 ?5 t# E A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
0 T+ o' f7 @6 I1 s; V8 f9 { An accidental offspring of a boulder
. f6 t1 M3 y; i7 I, U! O# T But just a very small stone.
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The pebble's place in our world
8 z- |' h/ c# x  e2 q0 I6 P# Z Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
' N, X7 ?, j7 c/ A0 ?1 @ Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
2 ]9 m- S4 V5 ^ Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
6 S6 d9 V8 k" |7 H0 s: a/ a2 q1 k Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

- k: P* [0 R& i2 V1 k The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
8 D6 u  t( d  `( F$ x Into a dueling force of action and reaction
; E) x7 |, b6 T  n: c Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
! L! ?( S0 g- B+ Q6 Z But ultimately recognizing
0 l# c8 d) h3 w+ G That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
; n/ z2 Z4 Y3 g0 } on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
Our everlasting future
& |6 z& i# N) d2 ^" L Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
3 O% q5 F- C6 U) ^3 D Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
! T# x8 W- s' n But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

( z& v, e1 ~7 T/ j And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
4 ~# M) @7 R- U5 K" O We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
7 O7 {6 X2 |. }: M' [3 A5 Z because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …
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) c1 ]( O0 u) ~# Z7 w Ross Rosenberg
* s: C0 c; }6 U 8/18/03