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