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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8 _1 J- l5 |+ ~+ l- P# l 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.

4 P3 v9 h% x% f, G7 z6 | Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
/ o, x  N( }& y2 p* H* R& ?; Z A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
' Y; ~$ ~  d4 |8 L, ?, u An accidental offspring of a boulder
9 q7 D! b5 m1 \ But just a very small stone.
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$ X- R  ?5 z  }- {, G The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
* x) V" B  l/ b/ @5 m: x Its insignificance is transformed
3 m: v8 M$ x4 z Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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* M" \6 O9 m, e9 K" ]) ~# I The instant the pebble kisses the pond
0 x4 o4 A; x* G8 V2 c Its signature of concentric ripples
7 b; \8 e% g  s Spiral outwards
( I& }( y$ G% j; [- W Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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9 G8 [& L1 T+ e$ P The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
( N2 Z+ ]! P4 `4 p Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
5 o6 H, v! {2 X' J- M Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
6 {. Y6 j" `9 ^9 Z5 L; P% {& O That who we are meant to be
' |9 H. h0 P1 X% O  j8 y5 | Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

8 Y1 h, H) l; }( h It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
1 {; w; W8 w4 G4 s Into the pond of life
- L5 a9 K; A3 _7 P9 ^; o2 f Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
7 Q4 Y, g( u- S Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
% z' t0 v- E% ]) u- j2 r8 D But because of actions.

8 V$ O0 g6 P4 a% w2 W- O; ~% P Our life's prayers our answered
3 }3 T2 P! |* z# {; u( X Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
/ K% Z# M. a9 Y, Q Changes the course of the lives
6 J" P/ K2 U, i+ H" q# v/ ~ Of those we touch.?
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And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
7 c% s& {$ h1 C, Y$ |0 D 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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3 t; `+ m& G; u1 S5 V$ ] Ross Rosenberg
; M7 K$ B/ @5 r6 V- S& ~ 8/18/03