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...
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...
