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.

- t- j. O! F# V' L- c/ X9 o Heaven
7 f& K1 l: E5 @1 Q The pebble is worn smooth
5 Q& Q% @: Z" P7 Q0 | Made small over time
3 Q- o7 e8 h2 _1 I: d/ R A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
% ?+ C: j6 O- r; f3 W0 @. i5 Z2 I An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
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The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
9 Q. D* E6 q; T But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
: a- z. a7 o# y, H3 P5 [' k& Z Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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# i6 e- [- O! o+ C( ? The instant the pebble kisses the pond
  M2 ~% ~- B5 u/ D Its signature of concentric ripples
: v3 }% x' o* T5 p. ^ Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
5 R" z/ z2 |5 j Gently affecting everything in its wake
$ J# |0 k  M$ }/ n/ _! ]2 j Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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. I( c; M" |  e/ W. n/ ~; X/ | The pebble creates its worth and meaning
6 B( H, d+ n4 ~ By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
- L5 g5 \& n# Z; w! k Creating karmic energy
: c+ x9 l% `2 G Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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. _! [; Z6 J. r1 M5 `$ m4 {" x Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
7 V# s2 T0 S( s4 n+ Y- ?2 b' t But ultimately recognizing
( @" ?1 e4 U3 [2 l# ^7 T That who we are meant to be
) h5 C( f: ?3 B1 v Can never be measured in isolation
% D5 z  P! L3 L+ Z! C1 { on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
5 e5 G: Y6 o1 n$ c( P1 k Into the pond of life
1 s( K7 Z) N/ V4 p0 l Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
5 f' x2 n8 w3 [: @ not because of well meaning plans
) c1 {3 J! I/ ^ But because of actions.

3 S* x: J/ z+ @1 d3 t Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
/ Q4 E, k& |" J* R) Q: G1 Y; z No matter how seemingly insignificant
, f* V, ?- c& f( X- B9 H Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
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' y- I& l7 O( V! ~7 H$ t' I; R' S And when the icy winds of death
/ ]! u; [. _& p2 i; A9 f5 G3 m. a beckon our lasting attention
! V( Q& j0 O, A; e& _9 q, _6 H We will gently leave this life
1 c# R- I& S+ q) n8 n/ F1 }3 i With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
) i5 ]* O2 L1 l8 F1 w* @' V The world will never be the same.
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And then we have heaven …

( T: T2 }: N- j* K  H Ross Rosenberg
. E; x) Z$ u3 n% L3 B3 X* L 8/18/03