A Monument in Memory

Laughing Waters separate the dock, the cove, and the clifftop castle

Peeking through the treetops to watch me bathe

In the same sun rays as those forever sealed in seared limestone

Before the azure sky, my eyes find desperate claws

Trees grazing their thick, green leaf tips against monumental walls

Yearning forever sealed in seared limestone

I stumble, I trip, I kick gravel out of my sandals

I wonder about the pebbles; fallen or stolen

From the mortar? Not quite forever sealed in seared limestone

Tourists traverse the tainted grounds summer after summer

Walls around the walls standing stronger and stronger every season

Protecting the history forever sealed in seared limestone.

Still standing, guarding the lake, though unvisited this past summer

I wonder if I will ever see it again, my beloved

Magical forest fantasy forever sealed in seared limestone.

Ha Ha Tonka State Park Castle, more than just ruins

Summer home, lakefront hotel, childhood adventure

And treasured memory forever sealed in seared limestone.