In an effort to understand spirituality and true life meaning,
I tend this poem at age 52 (2003). It represents my desire to
reconcile my scientific and spiritual understanding of life
and death. In it, I strive for a life that will go on for eternity
independent of the uncertainty of the afterlife.
HEAVEN
The pebble is worn smooth,
made small over time.
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature.
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock.
An accidental offspring of a boulder.
But still, just a tiny stone.
The pebble's place in our world
is neither understood nor appreciated.
But when thrown in a glassy, calm pond
its insignificance is transformed;
its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
The instant the pebble kisses the pond,
its signature of concentric ripples
spiral outwards,
moving far beyond itself,
gently affecting everything in its wake,
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,
creating karmic energy,
producing a lasting and fluid impression
Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant.
but ultimately recognizing
that who we are meant to be
can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
It is true:
Our everlasting future
is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
into the pond of life
creating ripples,
leaving a unique mark on our world,
not because of thoughts
or well-meaning plans,
but because of actions
Our life's prayers our answered
because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
change the course of lives
of those whom we touch.
And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention,
we will gently leave this life
with the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
the world will never be the same
And then we have heaven …
Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03
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