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.
- R7 G) E" W1 l" c2 S$ |
( j/ g' W, p  m; C- u Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
9 U4 o7 V. \/ m( j2 r7 X0 y Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
% ?: r+ t# ]. o: M  h( C& ^
The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
9 R  A! q; ^, r* ~- J) a  }: X Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
6 U3 O/ M3 v+ P# f+ C8 Z7 {
The instant the pebble kisses the pond
6 n4 w  s) C/ m% I4 F Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
7 ^" j: n4 q3 i6 J Gently affecting everything in its wake
7 v9 d9 `- M* |( ?, c1 v+ e Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
, X0 H+ O& Y, D" y! l6 A$ n
+ v2 Y+ G2 d, v7 D The pebble creates its worth and meaning
! S; Z. N; y- h. { By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
% v% [$ U; C0 [+ k: S
! w9 Z! E2 G; U7 [7 w Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
5 S! B) E. E; h$ l3 a. b' M$ z But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
: w; l5 O5 b" m5 h Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
2 I- r/ c6 }. i3 l* v
It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
. }9 L8 F- v- l Creating ripples
1 j# o; g8 t4 f' l that leave unique mark on our world
/ w$ B- C, t; @) [$ Z. }8 O Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
1 m0 v4 c2 Z0 X Changes the course of the lives
% B: p- v9 k( T Of those we touch.?

3 `* E% e4 T/ k' z6 y* r And when the icy winds of death
# N/ c  w* a$ \  b+ a beckon our lasting attention
; N0 o( `& k$ @- S# ~1 E, B: g We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
4 \: Y0 h1 b' E# s+ h) `, K
: G; R& R+ k  O. ?- L# ` And then we have heaven …

5 U8 `( T8 s5 ?7 y) V( M0 _9 e! W2 v  d Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03