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The Growing Older Living Deeply Poetry Project – Call For Poems
ABOUT THE PROJECT:
The GOLD Poetry Project by The Age Collective invites older adults across Canada to share poems that reveal the layered, honest realities of aging: the joys, the struggles, and everything in between. GOLD stands for Growing Older, Living Deeply, highlighting that aging isn’t just about getting older, but continuing to evolve, express, create, and live with meaning and depth at every stage of life.
Every few months, we release a new theme for poem submissions that focuses on a different part of the aging experience. Through these themes, we aim to shift the way aging is understood and valued in our society.
CURRENT THEME: SELF & IDENTITY
For this submission, we’re inviting poems that reflect on the many ways identity evolves as we age. Your poem might explore:
- Rebuilding who you are after life changes (e.g., retirement, illness, or caregiving)
- How others see you or how you see yourself at your age (e.g., feeling overlooked, stereotyped, or empowered)
- Finding new meaning, creativity, or purpose in later life (e.g., discovering a new passion or shifting priorities)
Your poem must connect to this theme in some way to be considered.
ELIGIBILITY: In order to submit a poem to us, you must meet ALL the criteria below:
- Be 55 years or older
- Live anywhere in Canada
- Submit your own, original work that has not been published elsewhere.
No previous writing experience is needed! All styles are welcome: haiku, free verse, prose poetry, rhymed or unrhymed – as long as they follow the guidelines below.
POEM GUIDELINES:
Your poem must meet ALL the criteria below:
- Length: Max 20 lines (excluding title, but including stanza breaks)
- Line limit: Max 10 words per line
- One poem per person per theme
- Must relate to the theme of Self & Identity
If your poem doesn’t meet the guidelines above, we won’t be able to accept it.
If your poem is selected, it will be featured on their website and Instagram (@theagecollective) with your first and last name (real or alias), age, and location (city and province/territory).
If you have any questions, please contact us at info@theagecollective.com
DEADLINE:
Submit your poem by July 10th, 2025 11:59 PM ET.
COMPLETE THE FORM TO SUBMIT YOUR POEM!