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+ U4 S' S7 e1 z; Q5 ` 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.
2 T5 F  |( ?( M2 d$ t4 C: e& j
Heaven
+ |6 S  O' j: V) Y9 Z0 D The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
' _7 f6 X  p7 |5 x A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

8 m8 m3 b! m; Q' y3 i) ^$ @ The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
& F8 y/ g6 W, v3 C1 b1 { But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
& p$ I/ A% _1 `2 V/ G. J$ ]5 j Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
" m2 U  p) q4 d  X
The pebble creates its worth and meaning
! e. `8 C* h# Q$ d, _9 ^8 x By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
; v  e" X9 L# {8 l0 W* d- M' A  n Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
1 s" f+ P, _4 @6 z
  J# Q5 k9 ~6 n  Q# ?# k Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
( l2 r8 V% y8 z- \! [2 @ That who we are meant to be
; h; _  _0 p2 ]# G  Q. z* L4 T+ z Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
( }: Z6 \3 ~7 E- ?: c
9 z4 @+ x& Q! ~5 h: m It is true then:
Our everlasting future
: v( k6 i8 R  P/ _( H Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
- r" z: R$ ]- y, g Into the pond of life
7 d# d9 u- H2 X  G5 G) X* z Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
+ \5 v. Y* D2 m/ X8 r not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
5 q! W4 v* t. C( v0 M9 M
Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
" e7 s5 b: B* H Of those we touch.?

0 s, t# s6 Y3 H3 p2 w  ]4 s And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
) e) Q8 m, |4 m" z* n With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
! l( S8 Z& J; u9 y
- U+ |6 c+ P8 ^ And then we have heaven …

9 u( J5 @) |' X3 t' l% ` Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03