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.
$ E% Y& E" p: j3 s! y1 U- H
$ K! w- w% O; `" ]3 ~! { Heaven
. P9 D/ ?/ {/ N The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
: I; I1 d6 N- _$ X/ B! D A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
% d; k# ^7 L/ b A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
7 p! _1 u" ]; A8 p9 z2 T/ h' I1 x
  g( [+ u" g, D# O The pebble's place in our world
7 ^, _0 I$ v1 T Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
# {1 c% ]% `6 \) ] Its insignificance is transformed
' V+ k1 H0 H" t( ~) C( ?! ^ Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
1 S% C* u7 ?" l Its signature of concentric ripples
: N; p; I7 \( Z& G) z+ h* f Spiral outwards
  k0 ^/ J& e& @ Moving far beyond itself.
% e/ |$ b( d) ]' C3 p- u Gently affecting everything in its wake
# Z5 |) A* e0 W- Q$ \ Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

1 N5 n- \; s  N1 ~# j2 W8 `. A$ s4 y The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
- o0 @" q, a0 N& B Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
2 u3 R: J" A0 N" l5 Z( I" w( i But ultimately recognizing
" ?2 V. x/ [9 J3 B That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
# ^- k# X5 c  t4 f  R  _/ O Our everlasting future
0 i) Y# y- d1 y/ m+ n( ~1 w Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
8 @8 v0 F, K7 e6 Q+ A6 U Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
4 p, h  Z  E* j! T2 m5 l Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
& w' V7 y5 j$ x  V But because of actions.
0 A2 R3 E! Z7 s. F* v7 S
6 S$ G8 f$ }4 `. m, g, R Our life's prayers our answered
5 M! `0 r0 ^' h Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
4 e: ?) l3 H2 |  H- ~& X5 n Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
8 ~- u3 P) ?& D4 e
And when the icy winds of death
, }0 i* e4 S9 t  [$ F" l' | beckon our lasting attention
$ R! H+ [& v6 L& c$ I7 @ We will gently leave this life
) J  ~; S/ V- e2 \+ u/ v With the knowledge that
* X% x- i4 s. x4 O: t( C) w because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …
( l6 j* F9 Y; J) {( C5 @; V
; F7 A, e# R0 D  e& w2 N3 m+ y$ T Ross Rosenberg
" M3 U4 N2 g* ], N 8/18/03