Pen & Page Prompt #25
This Week: In Motion
Pen & Page: Pausing in the Liminal Space of Uncertainty
A prompt about transition, uncertainty, and the act of moving forward
There are moments in a life that don’t belong to where we’ve been or where we’re going. They exist in between—unresolved, often unmarked, easy to overlook. And yet, these are some of the most difficult moments to write: how to give shape to something that is still in motion, still becoming. This prompt invites you to enter that space—to stay with what is shifting, without rushing it toward arrival. Wait a little longer in that liminal space. Discover.
Prompt #25: The Space Between Where You Were and Where You’re Going
Setup
Look closely. A road, open and stretching forward. A figure moving into it—arms slightly lifted, as if balancing, or letting go. We don’t see the face. We don’t know what came before. Only this: a moment of movement, unguarded, un-contained.
Prompt
Write a poem that begins with movement. Start with what is visible: the road, the body, the gesture, the space surrounding it. Stay with the physical at first—the placement of feet, the air, the direction of motion. Let the poem remain grounded in what can be seen before moving beyond it.
Then, let the poem turn.
Consider a time when you were in motion—not arriving, not leaving, but somewhere in between. A moment of release, or uncertainty. A moment when you did not yet know what would come next.
Stay with the details of that experience.
What did it feel like in the body? What were you moving toward—or away from?
Craft Menu (choose one)
Let one gesture (a hand, a step, a turn) repeat or evolve
Use the road as both literal and symbolic space
Shift perspective midway (observer → participant)
Constraints (optional)
Avoid naming the emotion directly—let movement carry it
Include a line that begins with “I didn’t know yet…”
Reflection
What does it mean to be in motion without knowing the destination?
What opens when we allow ourselves to remain there?
A Return to the Writing Life
Retreat & Recharge: A Poet’s Getaway
This November, we’ll be returning to the same wooded retreat space that held us so well last year—quiet trails, open time, and room to settle more deeply into the work of writing.
Retreat & Recharge: A Poet’s Getaway (link) will take place November 8–12, with an added day this year devoted entirely to your own writing. Unhurried, unstructured.
Early Bird pricing and registration open May 1.
If you feel the pull of time set aside for writing—truly set aside—you can join the mailing list below to receive first access.
Returning to the work, one small step at a time,
Write & thrive,
Robbin
10poetrynotebooks@gmail.com
www.robbinfarr.com