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.

Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
6 n, X# Y  P+ |. T- Q A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
% X# z& T) ^8 _( ~3 P/ U An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
5 n5 ]* [1 ?! ^( B1 c Is neither understood nor appreciated
! b& k; e8 m* J  z4 t But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
  R% T; l5 }6 F% L+ n Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

/ c. l! B  ?: G0 V4 {# h The instant the pebble kisses the pond
, ?/ h( `- X7 C4 s4 e Its signature of concentric ripples
" U7 W% c4 \7 t. V Spiral outwards
9 t" m0 y! g0 s: c Moving far beyond itself.
& \+ y5 H# j$ W) D1 J Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
' i1 ?2 L2 M1 @6 t
: A8 j+ W9 z" u8 h* J The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
. c+ w# p9 l3 b( L Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
" z: p$ R% R, T& K' p' p* D0 r Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
$ f+ E2 m. n! [8 @4 c9 Z& F Feeling small and insignificant
0 t, f+ u. @% k6 |( x# v# r But ultimately recognizing
+ |" b: c$ D" {1 d* M% ^% \' ^ That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
. |4 D6 h7 M4 K& y( j& o7 J- c Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
5 w% v: f$ ~5 d2 X Into the pond of life
3 _* m2 @4 [$ D Creating ripples
. C$ R% |: T7 A/ t  P+ h- l0 s& g& ` that leave unique mark on our world
! V+ s$ Q( r1 C) ]( B) z Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
  I* r3 N8 V9 V9 J* V1 o8 x. U But because of actions.
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Our life's prayers our answered
& s+ `, z) r; d- L6 _4 {0 }, X5 F3 O1 F Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
1 m3 q$ u4 v# `: Z Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
& t2 f' s1 ]$ v We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
! P- s: h' \$ B) E5 K The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03