Sunday, September 14, 2014

Writing From the Outside In - Day Three of Seven.

Writing from the outside in – day three.

Today as I was riding my bicycle in a rural area not too far from my house I happened upon a duck crossing sign – which I took as a sign to write about ducks crossing the road.

So here again – we take an image from the outside and use it as the impetus of a poem. I try to get inside the head of the person who might put up a duck crossing sign – to empathize with someone I haven’t even met.

This is one of the values we can talk about when we write from the outside in – empathy – putting ourselves in another’s shoes. (And, we don’t have to get preachy about it!)



Caution – Duck Crossing

This
is where the ducks cross
when they need to get
from one side to the other.
Sometimes one duck
sometimes two
sometimes half a dozen dinky ducks
following their mother.

This
is where the ducks cross
we’ve even put up a sign
so that you know
you must be careful
when driving here
you must be cautious
you must go slow.

This
is where the ducks cross
we want none injured.
Drive carefully on this hill.
Please don’t bump
one of our darling ducks,
or we’ll be forced to send you
a duck doctor’s bill.

© michael salinger

No comments:


Labels