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.
/ r6 n# v3 z! B; r3 n
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.
; k8 |" m8 R9 j1 t
Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
" A3 c) I2 W6 @6 f% S1 P. t- v
The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

* [( T* q9 r* C3 ~  i8 ^ The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
0 b  o8 V) O. J  l Spiral outwards
: D3 e. e: T4 v( n( I Moving far beyond itself.
6 e( J5 b9 T4 |4 o Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
" G8 n2 B( l% F
- F* H5 G/ }4 J) H The pebble creates its worth and meaning
* W8 u( P9 w! z5 u By unleashing its unimagined power?
# Z& M, D! ^2 Q  i: d( Q- R Into a dueling force of action and reaction
& |& \( V( l0 i( \8 _* t Creating karmic energy
( c( G" H& K! W Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
. @: u% L, c# B: ^) H Feeling small and insignificant
$ @4 t2 N+ z& _) O5 } But ultimately recognizing
% {, ]+ s8 T" T2 F. H* s That who we are meant to be
; b+ }! C) u& D( j Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
/ n) x) W& r6 P8 q% E" H( [
. L1 w9 |: Y7 q" W4 J8 p It is true then:
; B) V( b. u0 v& j5 q Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
9 j. Z% P& j3 e/ P* |. q  U8 | not because of well meaning plans
, a' e2 A- H* T! G3 Z  n But because of actions.

% f  J) ]2 J# w+ v* T Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
. n9 ^% W& ?! A, k9 N No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
& k: ?1 V% C7 H- u# h& F We will gently leave this life
- h' o' L& Z6 j With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …
3 b3 I4 G8 R+ D' }0 _3 e0 J9 C+ t9 h
Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03