Soldiers Memorial Military Museum

The day started out somber. I was running late.

morning fog
even the hot coffee
fails to warm me

Fortunately, the traffic was light. I checked in with my tour group and had about 10 minutes to spare. We were headed to the Soldiers Memorial Military Museum.

rocky bus ride
none of us are in danger
of falling asleep

Upon our arrival, we noticed the building had a musty odor that seemed to permeate the mood of everyone present.

past rains
echo through the corridors
of heartache

Every plaque, every medal, every story had a theme. We passed name after name of loved ones who had perished.

broken clouds
every war ends with the hope
there will never be another

Finally!

Beautiful days are rare in June. Especially in St. Louis. Most are hot and humid. So when we finally got a break in the heat, my friend and I headed downtown. While there, we ran into one of the city's founders.

a hockey miracle
pierre laclede still rooting
for the st. louis blues

And that's about how long it took our team to win the Stanley Cup.

Where Did February Go?

february chill

the stale marshmallows

end up in the fire

While I am not a fan of burning books, I never thought I would be the guilty party. It started out innocently enough as most of my projects do before they go hopelessly awry.

winter origami

the angel becomes a boat

with wings

I borrowed a library book and got it soaked in the rain. No problem, I thought. I'll just zap it for 15 seconds. It will be good as new.

bad idea

the 4th of July

starts in the microwave

Apparently, there is metal in each library book that will set off a metal detector if it hasn't been desensitized. This is done by a magnet when the book is properly checked out. The mechanism is similar in principle to the anti-theft devices used in stores.

smoke everywhere

an incessant beeping

pours into the room

The metal in the microwave caused sparks. The sparks ignited the book. The plastic cover melted. 

The burnt square on the viewer's right shows the outline of where the metal device is located. 

browned casserole

inside the pages

of a winter's tale

It created a lovely odor that lingered for days every time I opened the microwave. The book was ruined but at least it wasn't wet anymore.

On that note, I will say goodbye to February!

The Gatekeepers

Despite today's political climate, there are still walls that have nothing to do with Trump, the US border, or the government shutdown. 

serpentine wall
the echo of "hello"
from other hikers

However, the serpentine wall at Shaw Nature Reserve is related to a dead US president. Apparently, Thomas Jefferson inspired the structure. 

lewis and clark expedition
native americans teach
foreigners how to survive


Built in 1946, it resembles the serpentine wall in Forest Park that separates the St. Louis Zoo from the park grounds.

peace lilies
the end of world war II
but not the end of war

The wall was not built to keep people out but to protect a boxwood garden from mother nature.

wintry couple
the wind and the wall
have a long engagement

It's a good thing the wall is hundreds of miles away from the White House. No structure should have to withstand such gale-force winds.

shaw nature reserve
the only gatekeepers 
are the bald cypress