Toby pulled me away from a sink of

dishes with his chocolate face

turned up beside me, his chocolate

eyes asking me to

follow.  He led me to the front door and

I let him out; but that was only

half of his request.

He wanted to walk and see the

world down the dirt road and, his

eyes said, not alone.  So I

followed him in the heat of the day

hot wind blowing my hair

sideways.  It took a block or two

to blow the thoughts of dishes needing to be washed

and bread rising and a boy

needing encouragement.

It was the wind getting hotter

and the newly cut grain

dusty, yellow and bailed,

to turn my mind to outside;

the sky, the honeysuckle growing

wild on the barbed wire and

cedar post fence.  Two cars

passed slowly because Toby

didn’t seem to be paying

attention- the dust blew

over the white cabs and I

shielded my face.

Toby reached the corner

where the dried yellow ended

and looked back and seemed to

plead- let’s keep on!

Alright, to the black cows a block

or so more, then we’ll turn

back- but once beyond that

intersection the dust and heat

immediately turned to cool

green lavender alfalfa

blossoms; water, cool, wind,

sweetness, lifting my hair

cooling my mind and

watering my soul.

My heaven smells like that

I thought.

With every deep drinking

breath, a memory of my

childhood home; now of

my favorite lake; now

eyes closed the absolute

luxury wrapped around

and soothingly passes me

more whole and healed than

in the ten minutes past.

I didn’t know standing

at the sink that I needed

this- that this heavenly

moment was waiting

But God did and Toby

listened and took me in his

silence, away- for my good and

blessing.