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.

$ v0 K4 o$ }1 j# ~  K Heaven
, \; ]4 D; t( V# R( P2 c9 k, I The pebble is worn smooth
8 O9 G" |6 I2 L$ L Made small over time
" z- v3 Y) [/ ~! B, y) p' |+ m A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
! H: ?+ y& _, y5 _/ C  n An accidental offspring of a boulder
9 i) U& Z3 I* n4 J* i But just a very small stone.

' \- R+ v; k7 u) C( j4 |& r The pebble's place in our world
' B! O4 y; G$ g- {% i, }# u Is neither understood nor appreciated
% ?4 o6 P0 ?. R3 n. J But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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5 `) H* r% g9 L9 `4 D The instant the pebble kisses the pond
& u- V! f/ r8 ?3 X* t Its signature of concentric ripples
4 @, u, |' J2 L4 [; l7 ` Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
+ W% J, i# W6 t; i$ e# l2 x Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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  V4 S  z0 c. r- H The pebble creates its worth and meaning
+ X/ {3 O! X' [, r6 u By unleashing its unimagined power?
2 q- }, Y9 J" ]# Y Into a dueling force of action and reaction
; [/ y. @! R9 l/ o# g2 ` Creating karmic energy
  ~* ^: M9 _1 ?( t* P Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

$ K6 x+ B4 S- j6 N Aren't we all pebbles?
6 i8 r6 N* D/ I Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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- @2 \( k0 C  W1 _% e2 Z6 i It is true then:
5 Y* D8 m: p1 E5 o( Q. ` Our everlasting future
8 ?/ F( P5 o; h. p! P8 p& I Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
1 A% E6 ]* h0 f) ^ Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
# Z1 q# Z6 r9 S, X% w/ w8 g But because of actions.
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Our life's prayers our answered
* s6 [! c5 u* f4 C7 w: h- v' J Because even the smallest pebble
) w1 {  ^  b+ o5 d* \ No matter how seemingly insignificant
& F) W# O2 h. k4 Z' v  M% U Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
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2 H6 {' e( c2 `. e3 [! G And when the icy winds of death
; }6 ^; [2 n1 s9 E7 H2 } beckon our lasting attention
5 |" U" ^! n& t We will gently leave this life
' {  |. d: E9 \ With the knowledge that
, X$ A. v; ~! l+ v# c  L because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

5 ?! M5 E8 H9 I* E0 ] And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03