As National Grief Awareness Week approaches (2–8 December 2025), Age Cymru Dyfed’s Bereavement Team is extending an open invitation to anyone who has experienced loss to share a poem that captures what grief means to them.
This year’s theme, “Growing with Grief”, reminds us that although loss changes us, growth and hope can emerge from even the most painful experiences. The colour theme for the week is orange, symbolising warmth, connection and renewal.
How we’ll be marking the week
Throughout National Grief Awareness Week, our team will be hosting a series of reflective and community-based events, including:
-
planting seeds and trees as symbols of new life and hope for the future
-
encouraging everyone to wear orange, in solidarity and remembrance
-
creating a Tree of Life, where shared poems and personal reflections will be displayed
-
Walk & Talk and Sit & Chat peer sessions, offering safe spaces to share and connect
These activities are designed to bring people together, to honour loved ones and to help those who are grieving feel supported within their community.
Share your poem
We invite staff, volunteers, clients, friends and community members to submit a poem for display at our events. It does not matter if you have never written before; your words, in whatever form they take, can help others feel seen and understood.
Your poem might be hopeful, heartfelt, sad, reflective or simply honest. It can rhyme, flow freely or take any shape you choose. There are no rules, no right or wrong, just an open space to express what grief has meant to you.
You can choose to share your poem anonymously or with your name (with your permission). Please send your poem to samantha.owen@agecymrudyfed.org.uk.
A reflection
Here is a piece that captures the gentle spirit of this invitation:
“Grief, I say, come in. Sit down.
I have tea. There is honey.
This will take as long as it takes.”
— This Hallowed Wilderness
Grief takes time. It shifts, softens and sometimes surprises us. But through sharing, we can help each other find comfort, understanding and perhaps even a sense of peace.
If you are an older adult, or know someone who is navigating bereavement, our Age Cymru Dyfed Bereavement Team is here to offer support. You are not alone, and your story, your words and your memories matter.