Written for Sadje’s weekly question:
What Do You See? Also for Melissa’s
Fandango Flash Fiction Challenge.
A bumblebee climbed out of a crocus, dusted in gold, and shook out her wings.
“You’re new,” she said, spotting the cicada perched on the daisy nearby, wings folded like stained glass. “I don’t recognize your buzz.”
“Seventeen years underground will do that,” the cicada replied. “I only just came up. Everything’s so loud. And bright. Is it always this bright?”
“Only in summer,” the bee said. “Where were you all that time?”
“Down there. Waiting. Drinking root juice, mostly, and thinking about what I’d see when I finally got out.”
“And? What did you decide?”
The cicada considered the daisy beneath him, its white petals fanned out like a sunburst. “I decided I wanted to see a flower up close. Really close. Not just imagine one.”
The bee laughed, a low hum. “I see a hundred a day. You get used to it …. the pollen, the petals, all of it starts to blur.”
“Lucky you,” the cicada said. “I only get a few weeks total. No time to get used to anything.”
“Then don’t,” the bee said, lifting off. “Just look at the wonder of it all.”
So he did …. really looked …. while somewhere above them, another summer brilliantly summered on.
NAR©2026
#WDYS
#MFFFC
This is “Flowers and Insects” by Steady Sun
Everything on The Elephant’s Trunk was created by me, unless otherwise indicated, and may not be used without permission. Thanks for your consideration. NAR©2017-present.
The Elephant's Trunk 
beautiful…nancy! 💖💖👍👍
LikeLike