FLASH FICTION: "EXOTIC DOODAH" BY BELINDA HUBERT

In addition to writing fiction and poetry, Belinda Hubert is currently working on a novel, titled Shrink Wrapped and a collection of short stories about life in the Midwest. She works as a clinical psychologist in a private practice in Lowell, Indiana.
http://buelasprairiepractice.blogspot.com/

 

Exotic  Doodah

                                    

It's that Dr. Seuss time of summer now.  Sunflowers bigger than your 

head; black eyed Susans, purple cleome and orange coreopsis 

doi-oi-oin-ging in the breeze.  Birds perched on the feeders - bright yellow, red, blue - like flying jewelry.  And those lethal, three inch long sparkly teal hummers - tiny ninjas, dive bombing each other and hovering in open doors, giving you the eye.  Even the beetle bugs have luminescent flashers on their bums. And they just loll around close to the grass, waiting for three year old hands to catch them.
 

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They're only cicadas, and beetles, birds and flowers. But if you listen to the racket they make, you could imagine yourself in an ancient rainforest or jungle somewhere far away.  This home of Ma Kettle, hay bales, rolling hills and cows chewing cud has some doodah going on.  For real.

The wilds of Indiana?  Come on.  But I wouldn't walk down to the pond after dark.  There are coyotes and skunks, bobcats and haints out there waiting for you.  Not to mention the mosquitos that could carry you off. Hell, I nearly got flattened by a deer once just walking down the two lane road by my house.  He came busting out of the woods and barreled past me - so close I could smell his sweat.  Those suckers are big up close.

Yeah.  We've got some pretty exotic doodah going on out here in plain old Indiana.  If you only listen.

~BELINDA  HUBERT