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.
7 g- n. j) d- b/ v% v% a- Q
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
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
$ _/ e1 g; `; [( D A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
5 v7 O1 q7 ~! F; w  D8 b: O An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
6 M' P* I( |3 [% I But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
( ?. u8 s0 P8 g6 a; m7 p Its insignificance is transformed
  Z5 Y5 ~1 v, J* O8 M Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
1 F% V/ `* }- R6 { Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
/ x$ k& l) P* K0 C% S, U Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
# V' Q; H# ?& O# D
The pebble creates its worth and meaning
2 e) V2 R1 X: E: }! } By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
. K) u$ A3 S" r* i Creating karmic energy
9 z5 D4 O, k$ h) T0 ] Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
* K* Z4 n$ u& ]  b! S- |* N Feeling small and insignificant
3 ?. d. h" |- n7 C- L% I But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
6 ^' {' k% X. ^ Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

- t/ M' T- f/ ^6 N/ | It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
1 b5 V* H8 ^  u) n) U that leave unique mark on our world
# w5 I$ V+ P% A8 e( q Not because of thoughts
, H( _7 b3 ^: d7 x# S not because of well meaning plans
% c8 R4 _6 M+ ` But because of actions.
# [( p3 V$ g0 g
Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
3 }$ l) F7 P9 e5 ^0 q; k/ n No matter how seemingly insignificant
1 S" ^& p' K; ]+ g& J+ g. W! _ Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
" X+ w3 [! ]; ^4 P7 w/ S& v
And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
. v* `# y$ F4 {  p& y  k/ E  O) |5 Q9 c because of that one pebble
5 |& {/ k* O& l% P2 U0 l' v$ A The world will never be the same.
9 o( o$ y/ P' i% ^+ j  e
And then we have heaven …
0 D; K$ h  W) A; {- i: S/ S
Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03