by Mary McKSchmidt | Sep 14, 2026 | A Bench and a Tree, 2026
“Rose.” It was barely a whisper. More like a gentle breeze stirring the spirea on a summer afternoon. The nearby caregiver looked up, surprised. Tears edged the corners of her eyes as she watched the older woman timidly touch the rose’s velvety petal. It was the...
by Mary McKSchmidt | Sep 7, 2026 | 2026, A Bench and a Tree
Four of us gathered in the sweltering heat at the shaded picnic table alongside the Day Use Trail at Ottawa Sands County Park in July. The meeting was prompted by comments from a book club discussion of Mother’s and my book, Miracle Within Small...
by Mary McKSchmidt | Aug 17, 2026 | 2026, Poetry
At first, I thought it a monarchand held my breath so it might landand feel safe on the Queen’s lace, unlike the fields laced with pesticidesit must cross as it journeys each winter to the fir forests of Mexico. But the black line of distinctionacross...
by Mary McKSchmidt | Jul 20, 2026 | 2026, Poetry
If Calvin can have Hobbes, why shouldn’t Mother and I create an imaginary world, assigning names and personalitiesto the assortment of stuffed animalsperched on her bed eavesdropping on our daily chair chat conversations? They were our buddies, our kids,our family,...
by Mary McKSchmidt | Jul 6, 2026 | 2026, A Bench and a Tree, Blog Post, Poetry
a long dash skipper a place of nourishment ninebark’s offering It was hot. And still I walked. Looking for butterflies. Smelling the sweet fragrances of summer. Listening to birdsong. Exercising—for walking is now my preferred form of exercise. JB McCombs, co-leader...
by Mary McKSchmidt | Jun 29, 2026 | Poetry, 2026, A Bench and a Tree
Like how the Red Admiral leans into the creamy white flowersof the ninebark, its tube-like proboscisprobing deep into the blossomto sip the sweetness, like howthe butterfly’s spindly legscan’t help but brush against the clusters of stamen emanating from...
