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.
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  v3 K8 S# S/ a# j Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
  v8 j2 Y0 t9 L% t6 N Made small over time
* K6 k' C  L+ I. x  x A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
1 f! |4 K: U8 {2 _- \/ v# i An accidental offspring of a boulder
3 S3 L/ L& o! M4 ~8 ` But just a very small stone.
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" H6 P$ `; D4 u5 Q6 i9 m The pebble's place in our world
# i$ E  a" n' q8 | Is neither understood nor appreciated
$ @% M4 |! S0 {7 z But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
% E0 p5 R# W# m% \) L Its insignificance is transformed
* p! [( U$ K/ H/ ^ Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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4 x- g; H; U* J4 Z1 o The instant the pebble kisses the pond
- D2 D8 }+ F# b$ o( p Its signature of concentric ripples
$ x6 {) ^' i! t$ Y8 S Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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+ P0 ]7 Q* v: L6 y% U2 q The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
' s- ?0 K3 \; O7 x0 r- x7 }6 j Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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. D& j1 z+ X, v$ b. H6 t Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
! i' i9 Q6 _( D1 b0 t$ o, i 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:
1 D( \* b2 g  T: ^/ X! P4 a# ^ Our everlasting future
4 Z" _2 d7 {6 ?0 K Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
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Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
$ o1 Z8 n3 E" ^; ?7 L  t But because of actions.

5 z' s' B5 s/ ^  v Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
  t4 C8 d$ o$ ~. S+ x* W0 j, _( e Of those we touch.?
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And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
. {  ^7 h& v# s We will gently leave this life
! ^6 F( R# V1 u3 |1 X With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
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And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
" _$ I3 C2 s. u# l  d% P. Z. U 8/18/03