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...
by Mary McKSchmidt | Jun 8, 2026 | 2026, Poetry
Between the emerging light of dawnand the evening’s disappearance,it is hard to choose a favoriteamidst so much bravado.
by Mary McKSchmidt | Jun 1, 2026 | Poetry, 2026
The first time I attempted the ascent,I turned back, the sleet and icy winds too formidable for one recently enlightened as to limits beyond which one should not hike. But the next day I trekked past the stone circle—a rare and ancient monument located in ankle-deep...
by Mary McKSchmidt | May 25, 2026 | 2026, Poetry
Grief is like the wake behind a boat. It starts out as a huge wave that follows close behind you and is big enough to swamp and drown you if you suddenly stop moving forward. ~ Jimmy Buffett 1. I arrived in the countryof my ancestors with a listof questions about...
by Mary McKSchmidt | May 18, 2026 | Poetry, 2026
The four eyes onthe flame-colored wings of the peacock appearto have eyes onlyfor a flower so prolific as to be an eyesore tothe meticulous gardener. A long-distance traveler like the painted lady chooses not the dainty whitecups of the...
