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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0 ~; d, V; j1 }1 Z Heaven
. x+ T; l& E  j( G The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
4 u! m. H/ l/ v+ A1 f A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
" \" I" z# I5 \; z1 C" Q But just a very small stone.
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The pebble's place in our world
$ y! o' z3 |/ z& S6 l Is neither understood nor appreciated
! Z7 b0 L) s2 g! g2 L0 O. K" k* e* Z But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
. x4 f8 I1 N$ D  x5 b Its insignificance is transformed
# @; ]& u, G# [ Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
% r4 K/ H; f; {9 d1 I- ` Spiral outwards
1 n% x  r9 D" J# i9 o6 N, @ Moving far beyond itself.
0 f7 ?, s; N+ u3 k- `4 N5 l Gently affecting everything in its wake
5 b* u3 }3 ?& ^; T5 u$ a8 O Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
' C% d; ~( V3 y; e. a  b By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
1 \8 A+ I- |$ v3 w* b9 U. V Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
- c6 \7 z+ q1 l8 i' e But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
$ @# C% R  `  l& c Can never be measured in isolation
! g) y! ~  Q4 D- t on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
* ]0 r$ N$ v3 n2 Y9 E Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
( |0 C! j9 T4 A9 x' m0 ?* A# e not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
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Our life's prayers our answered
0 M4 W9 |6 g9 U1 H' H Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

1 M# R7 c$ a7 t; J  e/ ~ And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
" T7 w& R6 J5 Z; n9 P$ }) m3 G We will gently leave this life
' m. q7 |5 z* V! B7 V With the knowledge that
/ c% b) A+ Z2 D9 W% _$ M5 y because of that one pebble
& Q+ J: a1 H0 E The world will never be the same.
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And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
. O0 _( z8 \1 k. @ 8/18/03