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.

. y- T$ x. w8 B- R 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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" V6 t. H2 M! Y  G" q5 C Heaven
) v$ r5 m* O5 L* |1 Q: o5 i  a% i3 z The pebble is worn smooth
/ @' m  p9 @5 u3 U Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
* i9 X) U8 Q7 b# {5 q! k A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
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The pebble's place in our world
5 f7 T. j! m. u) ^+ O- e( ] Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
; L4 e5 {: Y3 `" s. e& l Its insignificance is transformed
! H. p: M3 M3 {/ u8 p. o9 H Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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The instant the pebble kisses the pond
6 K1 j( V1 U* B2 O0 q Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
* L; X& Y7 \8 L* j- j4 L0 |4 c Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
0 Q4 E% z" v  r Into a dueling force of action and reaction
' P# ]- @" a# B' n$ w Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

/ W5 E1 C" h9 X Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
0 D1 S' C+ Z! C But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
5 w0 w; w4 y1 |3 }  X/ O Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
* s: }/ C" ]* R) }: D5 s, [ Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
8 a6 Q. P5 d5 ^  l Into the pond of life
+ R1 h, x( N4 W7 `1 J Creating ripples
6 H9 ^5 m2 {% W4 b! ^4 z# E4 M that leave unique mark on our world
  s' o0 j1 v+ E: O. t, z Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
$ f* Q: V" F. R1 V% X But because of actions.
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$ N1 j; p4 R; ^. G( B. E, k Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
4 ~) e9 N+ |( O0 N+ s Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
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And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
$ B$ c- Z& O" c( L* E8 i because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
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And then we have heaven …

) B5 c1 z4 O! s% `% p- g2 J Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03