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.

. b; K/ W# J. }, ?6 `9 a7 l Heaven
3 O; _- V- ~/ e" p The pebble is worn smooth
0 u$ L' u; C* h4 k Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
1 t, V% M; t( Y8 I An accidental offspring of a boulder
- C/ A% u$ O4 c- \# R But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
2 L8 J  f; ^( `4 m Is neither understood nor appreciated
3 b* O( U8 z* H But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

5 p: R) G9 B) ?8 ?* h The instant the pebble kisses the pond
& I, l$ u- Z5 I% z Its signature of concentric ripples
2 @7 H* r( p9 R Spiral outwards
0 C# b6 J- x4 h- V Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
2 t! l" D0 Q( t& s$ v Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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0 M$ ~7 A. {( g, s$ t" J- D The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
! u# t7 Z7 G5 J2 o1 w0 X Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
+ w" i6 O; |* f) j& Z% W But ultimately recognizing
- f- D3 X  o, `: e That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
7 j! r# K+ k" N/ q on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
) g, \  l3 [! v9 b' v! Z Our everlasting future
, D9 j( G/ o- Z( }* Q Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
; u1 Y4 T4 H# G( E/ ^  A$ M- M Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

% D2 L; v' U  C  k; ` Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
1 j# z- j; B- }' G; N9 n No matter how seemingly insignificant
  z, F+ M, C' h0 ? Changes the course of the lives
+ \$ F% O% r( j$ l7 p: g0 \ Of those we touch.?
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( \) l; a& r" E And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
3 z2 e2 X& e% I5 L We will gently leave this life
! o5 k$ a. k, q6 z. h, u. o With the knowledge that
, M4 S9 @5 F7 r/ t" a because of that one pebble
3 ~9 Z" b; k4 D2 y The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03