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.

Heaven
) H; z2 e, }4 A" P/ {4 K! X The pebble is worn smooth
. i6 i, I- r+ e/ l 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
+ u) {3 @4 ~9 b  X: q, W But just a very small stone.
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The pebble's place in our world
# l( u' j6 q& Q- t; {. Z Is neither understood nor appreciated
$ z6 u$ E' j# m* X But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
( ^0 U+ y4 R5 S. e7 q* i Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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6 m1 Y( w1 i3 ], p; @! Z8 | The instant the pebble kisses the pond
( D# t6 l9 U+ X% F1 v Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
$ M, B9 D- W, `: I4 d3 m Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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) j  d4 f+ s& ~, Y/ w, a6 A) _: G The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
+ w! r0 j6 X7 M5 s Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

& h) n3 h) U+ o6 ?9 T4 v Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
  B4 K  P, `: I That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
" d1 o7 b6 I# F3 j# z on a path into ourselves.

( H* p8 S1 `/ O% d It is true then:
Our everlasting future
0 `3 D$ t, v( L9 I* G* ]6 S5 l7 [ Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
4 m6 N  ~7 j. Z4 X1 T0 U Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
. t- n6 O# ^5 X- p* L that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
* A- x+ Y4 a! M3 U But because of actions.

6 x8 ^# H8 W7 [$ J: p Our life's prayers our answered
6 B- {6 ^4 h- L# s" r4 o Because even the smallest pebble
. n- s' L+ v& V No matter how seemingly insignificant
" A/ l% L% J3 y$ ^! Q; e5 m; ]3 i  I Changes the course of the lives
. o" e) k6 Z7 g! p' ~ Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
" T4 o+ W( K: C) z7 Q0 C beckon our lasting attention
& U3 q$ T' v+ J1 A! }6 p We will gently leave this life
( B0 h; J2 ^$ r9 _; h With the knowledge that
6 G. F! _, i! l8 e' {, r; u. c because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
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And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03