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.

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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Heaven
- R  n- N$ j: z The pebble is worn smooth
4 b) f% S- P2 v. @; O& T& U Made small over time
6 @/ m+ v! G/ m& S A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
) ?5 v  h! \- \( |! s0 b% i8 H8 _6 o) l A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
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( i# t( R+ _& a" ]4 ^( o The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
/ `! c2 P+ @4 _: p But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
3 t! V1 h  A* T& S; P Its insignificance is transformed
6 B- v& Q3 @, f+ J Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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0 ~! F5 Z: W0 C7 V The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
: I: b5 a' H& g/ A: ~( I- |5 J Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
+ D# A1 S* f" I$ q% Z& U Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
$ J' ?; X5 Y+ _7 u, ^ By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
1 Z) w5 ]7 d" [ That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
8 o7 K: J9 K' X1 N! O" {  S on a path into ourselves.
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( b' G( J: ]9 w: K9 [# F It is true then:
& h# S+ p5 @7 M  W Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
% F$ A, ]7 `" {/ \ Into the pond of life
; W  {3 c3 }2 n$ |! w Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
- ^; g% Y9 o. n$ R0 T Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
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Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
$ m6 a$ U2 a6 I: F Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
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3 R) i* Z6 Z/ j. ~3 P And when the icy winds of death
0 H( b1 J/ f4 r2 | beckon our lasting attention
# X7 |5 r) s* F3 e  R( \ We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
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# x, p+ k+ N7 B And then we have heaven …
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$ v0 c; v/ g) q- l4 x* x( ? Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03