One of my favorite authors is the Australian writer Suzanne Burke. Just for fun, she's created a “Fiction in A Flash Challenge!" If you are interested, just click on the Flash Challenge link, and you'll be led to her website, where you'll find the challenge image and the directions for writing the brief Flash Fiction piece. I've entitled my story, A Visit To The Zoo. 

George … George! Come out here.

            Why would I want to do that! I’m trying to rest.

Ya gotta see this.

            Whatever it is, I’m not interested.

Come on, George. There are strange creatures out here, and they are all staring at me.

            Can we eat them?

No, they’re pretty big. They might eat us, though.

            Good grief! And, you’re still out there?

I think they’re in a cage. I don’t think they can reach us.

            Alright, alright. I’m coming. This better be good.

Look … over there. What do you see?

            I don’t know for sure. They have eyes, and they have hands and feet.

Watch ... watch. When I move, their heads turn to follow me. Did you notice that?

            Yeah, weird for sure.

Hey, look what happens when I just stretch out and show them beautiful me.

            Wow, that got a reaction!

Why don’t you try something?

            Okay. Let’s see what they do if I stand on my hind feet.

Hey, I think they like you more than me.

            Do you think they can talk? They’ve gotta have a mouth, don’t they?

I don’t know. I don’t even see a nose, so maybe they don’t breathe.

            They gotta breathe, they gotta eat. Unless …

Unless what?

            Maybe they’re some kind of alien. What do you think?

Aliens? Why would aliens be interested in us? What do we have that they need?

            Well, for starts a mouth and a nose.

Come on, George. Seriously, what do we have that they don’t?

            Beats me.

George, look at the little alien. He’s tugging on his face, but the big one stops him.

            Woe … I think I know what they want from us.

You do? What is it, George?

            They want to be free like you and me. 
         

Each week writer/photographer  Keith Channing  offers a photo prompt and encourages a creative response. In his own words, he writes: “Using this photo as inspiration, write a short story, flash fiction, scene, poem; anything, really; even just a caption for the photograph."

This is a chilly, rainy day for folks in the Midwestern part of the country. Life has slowed and we wait - for sunshine, for the early summer breeze. We've grown accustomed to the proverbial four walls that enclose us and the windows that offer glimpses of life that used to be. My Haiku attempts to capture that sentiment via Channing's photo.

​Won't it be delightful to someday meet? ​