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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6 k2 s6 ^+ q8 ]! g$ \/ J6 J 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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; }7 k! U* r4 [( o- |; z( t$ i Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
3 A. @% T0 B3 M Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
, P; J) F# k7 L An accidental offspring of a boulder
$ ~% e* I* s8 l1 V3 V But just a very small stone.
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) [) h: H( g: ~4 h7 k( h! N The pebble's place in our world
8 |; v9 O% l2 Q. ~ Is neither understood nor appreciated
) R3 H- S' N& O7 d5 m8 }5 J But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
! c. m, F3 g" K. [8 G8 [ Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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3 p; S) X0 R' i0 b; X% b$ S The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
- b/ v" T; ^$ B& G1 I# T" C/ v Gently affecting everything in its wake
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
/ ~/ i. s+ h0 ~/ I5 ]/ i Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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Aren't we all pebbles?
6 L# X% b; S6 b* `) [: [- d6 P; W Feeling small and insignificant
1 G: G3 v+ k: f* V But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
9 a1 L+ w: ^7 S' n- Y- C Can never be measured in isolation
2 F) @/ S* X9 c on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
, E7 _- t; l, s Our everlasting future
% h6 A8 O  Q8 b5 k) ^; p/ q Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
& |2 S' a( l$ [ Into the pond of life
$ e% O, k- @# ?9 i7 K Creating ripples
& l- F9 ]  W# G that leave unique mark on our world
  k$ A9 u# c% z, K Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
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# F! F% m7 R) c, Y7 L: P' Z Our life's prayers our answered
  n6 C$ t8 a3 N7 K2 |5 s Because even the smallest pebble
$ ]  |/ L" r1 v) K& P No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
* n: `" {  u( S3 K% e/ v beckon our lasting attention
! I! D9 p9 u  X! S4 N2 E0 a We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
& R- ?. `- d* A; e, I4 u: U, M because of that one pebble
5 L) O: N0 b- X The world will never be the same.
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! k' I4 \4 m# U2 a4 L! h7 z And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03