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.

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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Heaven
: Z2 L( {6 n5 V% c; i The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
, B/ e3 i  v  L$ I0 U; p- z3 { 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.
7 V: j% s' ~, _0 U* Y* N1 _: x) Y
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.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
& \9 u0 k+ L$ m; M6 Q$ n4 z+ Q7 Y Its signature of concentric ripples
; z! u/ `4 P+ \. k) G  i! T0 Q Spiral outwards
" W( k  P6 I+ Q2 v, R9 L% S# B2 s Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
# C, D" ^( Q5 y' p3 z Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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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.

Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
; B  W9 q" H( ~) r! ^1 C* `3 s But ultimately recognizing
% {) D) H9 O7 e' {: w That who we are meant to be
4 a$ P! L4 n) {6 Z# ? Can never be measured in isolation
% B$ N4 V& J( X4 w7 H8 _ on a path into ourselves.

8 b. \6 d& S( ~, R' q It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
! s0 ~5 P! B7 Q* W Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
# m, @8 N9 e8 k: V( q, z But because of actions.

7 t* l+ ~5 p4 \' i' I0 e* X8 ~ Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
7 E8 \; l" m/ a Of those we touch.?
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, t0 T3 f! i  w And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
; m' H3 a, a. A1 d: |( J We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

; z$ T. X# W0 C( W% L( W" @8 o( Q6 R And then we have heaven …
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( Q3 m# l! V8 g9 h. p Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03