My friend Penny had sent me a book for my birthday last year entitled Place of Sage. I just couldn't get into the book for some reason. At least not until after Penny had been diagnosed with cancer. I cried like a baby when I read it. It is a wonderful book if you can stand the tears that will come.

I wrote a poem about it in July...

"The Dirt Devil"

Last night I finished Place of Sage
Didn't need to wash my face
My tears washed it for me.

Saw another dragonfly today.
(If you read the book, you'll understand the significance.)
On my way back from lunch.
I asked God to show me a sign
like He did Jaime in the book.

Almost back at the prison where I work
(but not my prison)
To my right I looked
and there was a dirt devil in the ditch!
Just like the one in the book.
What are the odds of finding one in Georgia?
We saw one two years ago out west where you would expect one.

Thank you, Lord, for answering my prayer
and showing me the dirt devil.

As I was leaving work,
I saw 3 more dragonflies!
~Becky Bristow Voyles~
July 13, 2006

When I told my husband about the dirt devil I saw, he thought I meant a vacuum cleaner! Then he asked me if that meant I wanted to move to Washington state now! NO! Guess he was trying to be funny but I didn't find it amusing. My friend Penny understood what I meant by my words whenI told her, but she has read the book. Even Elisa, my oldest stepdaughter, understood what I was attempting to say about my little "religious" experience. Why couldn't he? Is it because he's a man and men don't express their feelings the way woment do?

That morning as I was deciding what to put on my other blog, I came across this poem I'd written months ago so you can see how often my muse visits me. Plus I didn't want you to think I was turning all Slyvia Plath and about to go off the deep end. These are not my best pieces of work. Perhaps I should just stick to quotes now.