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.

6 Q: K, V' z, d  b7 Y" T 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.

Heaven
7 x+ Z& k# Y) ^( \$ b The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
5 D0 e6 g; V* m( N A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
: h# g" \: g3 j" s; ] But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
; e& B: e6 x2 }- Q5 h: ~% M$ `& u$ O Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
7 Q& f. d5 A$ u! j Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

5 R2 g! s4 V( B% Q5 X2 t  E The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
- _  f8 G6 A$ K- n Spiral outwards
* P2 c% `8 b; B0 b. z0 ^5 a Moving far beyond itself.
" C4 ~- P+ x- u# l Gently affecting everything in its wake
, w/ m: g: `7 C6 V- Y2 }8 m Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

" \( P1 c0 L  a% y( V The pebble creates its worth and meaning
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
/ W& P3 v7 K! M- N That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
! ]4 m: e9 i0 d: C/ b0 h
It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
$ H+ ]% z% T9 V9 N& g! |1 u Creating ripples
, G  F1 @- {" V that leave unique mark on our world
0 D+ b  u0 {8 x1 ~5 c Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
! T& O2 J$ @$ d0 p7 ]1 M. G' g. N But because of actions.
$ Y, j) S5 g. p: |% Z* X2 o" M6 {: H
Our life's prayers our answered
8 U( W2 W8 W, ^+ W Because even the smallest pebble
% ?$ h( T  U, W# | No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

* z, e3 O4 S7 `% v* Z4 R And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
! f" ~$ K6 Y" z; U, @* w6 b2 M We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
$ Z. S' ^0 d# @4 c" ]( V5 o because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
; F9 u1 l$ y4 p2 |( _. V, |0 f; e 8/18/03