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.

* k9 e! y1 F8 g0 z Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
+ O! T& X9 x7 R; M A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
3 ]5 b% w" }# n1 k9 Q/ z, r But just a very small stone.
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The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
8 c# O$ r. z/ j* ]( j* {- \4 @6 _ Its insignificance is transformed
4 ~7 X9 y" R. p  [ Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
( \8 t9 F: Y8 F$ y; h0 W) s3 l# G2 R4 N Its signature of concentric ripples
1 \) `; \/ F- d; K& \3 |0 [ Spiral outwards
. k' b" ~% z: _- P7 D Moving far beyond itself.
5 q- a9 G6 p; W: U; R Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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: N5 m- g( Y4 c9 {% h2 I 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.
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- c& b) G6 J: N- c- K2 A: B; \4 ` Aren't we all pebbles?
1 S& ~' z2 k8 U' [5 G Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
- {, T6 d" C7 Z0 [ Can never be measured in isolation
8 X3 F, `8 O! Z8 e8 H1 ^0 g' N5 F- C on a path into ourselves.
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+ U0 D9 }2 E6 t It is true then:
+ Q0 Z; J% z; {4 [  j5 ^8 ] Our everlasting future
. `3 [/ Z- h* w. I Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
1 d# s% J+ H! G. v Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
- n9 Z( f2 A- k/ y! |; ~ Not because of thoughts
$ w* ^: U( t9 o* D& e& W5 q not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
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Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
# d5 ]6 o! ^0 m Changes the course of the lives
! {6 P8 R5 h8 X  [ Of those we touch.?

  e* i4 U" O: R2 P4 T/ K' W And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
( V$ V4 _6 o- }6 E3 P We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
+ _3 ]- j3 R6 n because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
+ G& I0 W" P+ H) \( ^5 A& @& a
- W7 J# \7 [3 W+ Y$ w4 Q1 C0 ?6 n And then we have heaven …

) |- }+ `' }" Y Ross Rosenberg
' [! L) a! S/ a7 D 8/18/03