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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3 ~% q3 t) R  |" _7 u% Q) V0 b 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
The pebble is worn smooth
8 v  H' s7 l4 y( A8 _& x0 Z2 I3 C Made small over time
) v0 o/ a3 D$ {7 f% n7 ? 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.

The pebble's place in our world
7 j( c& d, @7 d# y Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
  e! ~7 I, S4 G- T Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

3 X( Y7 H3 F0 m The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
; i8 H4 o1 W, ?# I6 H6 n# O Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
- }: v: e+ w% X+ n" ] Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
8 N$ D; e+ \; d1 R: K8 x! m6 Y' N& Q Creating karmic energy
: v9 C$ q' Q- S" L2 ~0 F7 n" v2 x Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

# p1 V, Y& V2 O/ f( V% ` Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
0 _5 d' p. C; B8 t! r But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
$ ?: `) ]0 E7 Z Can never be measured in isolation
6 w+ |1 Y. f: v- K on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
! J  @5 z+ x" o$ t Our everlasting future
4 \( ^9 ]4 s' n2 \2 ?) G& Z Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
5 `% z+ R, Z8 ~/ q Into the pond of life
7 X. a) X: S9 `0 o' v  U5 [ Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
7 q% l% }9 o9 ?4 F9 J. B Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
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Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
3 j  }( ?& Z3 C! {! z7 }! |; o Of those we touch.?
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" x0 w$ k) M+ r+ U, ? And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
3 k9 E/ p: ], k3 L" _+ j With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
7 b1 Z9 d* d: d The world will never be the same.
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' J3 q! ]- p! c+ w$ i8 g: A7 Q, i And then we have heaven …
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" Q$ m( ]: R! p7 y Ross Rosenberg
9 U9 z4 y( z4 s2 K) U9 o; `5 U' P9 { 8/18/03