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
+ w5 D% z; R0 N& q7 b1 g% T A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
: ?6 N" L. E4 c+ D& ] But just a very small stone.

2 \  ~. Z' U$ N% a3 F3 w- ?2 T The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
3 d+ P" C7 Y) }: N But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
- ], D$ q7 K. W& J0 R5 F: r Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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! t; k' y; V4 Z0 b' Z The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
$ u3 j; k3 ^& x  q8 C5 T Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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1 `7 D* E4 i, I1 o, V& E  w The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
+ d/ [. L7 f' e3 H: Y Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
( k5 n9 f# Y5 V/ _ But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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* V8 V8 @, Z$ h. y. T1 w5 @! } It is true then:
$ B9 s( y9 ^- `) y: m0 A, A+ d Our everlasting future
5 N& S5 B9 i9 c5 T Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
$ i) t7 y" d( F% l/ x2 v7 T' C0 i Into the pond of life
" ?# K0 L3 O/ I* _9 @1 N" I Creating ripples
% [0 Q4 l7 J- o+ G3 `$ P" } that leave unique mark on our world
) Z( ?6 Z: D) b Not because of thoughts
  K& }( s0 ?$ \ not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
3 `2 a* b% T' |& k6 } Changes the course of the lives
& V2 {" Z$ z+ j1 X$ x& W Of those we touch.?
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2 T2 K9 L4 ?2 D! N And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
8 w3 k" a% z2 R$ ?/ @* P7 g! v" C' ^ We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
# m& I+ W) T& n% K8 [. W4 g4 c  M because of that one pebble
- L7 M6 Y! }$ ~( h" ^8 @ The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …

% d1 I4 M3 q1 ?, p Ross Rosenberg
: w1 J7 O; p' J 8/18/03