A retirement gift that remembers the job
The leaving card fills up with "Enjoy your retirement!" and not much else. A personalised retirement poem says what everyone's actually thinking, which is usually "who's going to fix the printer now?" It captures the habits, the running jokes and the quiet kindnesses that made someone part of the place, so they leave with more than a bunch of flowers and a voucher.
Tell us their name, what they did, and a few things their colleagues or family will recognise. We write a rhyming poem around them in under a minute, and you read it free. When it's right, choose a design and download a print-ready A4 PDF for £9.99.
For Linda — On Her Retirement
— From all of us on the second floor
A sample poem. Yours is written from scratch around your own details.
A retirement gift for a colleague
Office collections are tricky. A poem is something the whole team can put their name to, and it's far more personal than another pot plant. Ask around before you start, because everyone will have a story. Things worth collecting:
- Their role, and how long they've done it. "Thirty-one years on reception", or "the only person who ever understood the rota".
- What they're known for. The drawer with everything in it, the Friday biscuits, the birthday cards, the spreadsheet nobody else can follow.
- Their sayings. "Leave it with me." "Have you tried turning it off and on again?" "Not on my watch."
- Their routine. The same mug, the same parking space, the same sandwich every Tuesday.
- What they're retiring to. The garden, the caravan, the grandchildren, the golf, the trip they've been planning for years.
Put the team's name in the "from" box, such as "From everyone on the second floor", and print the poem to go with the leaving card.
A retirement poem for Dad or Mum
When it's a parent retiring, the poem can take in their whole working life: the early starts, the commute, the uniform, the shifts they swapped so they could make it to your school play. Share a few of those memories, along with what they're looking forward to now. There are more ideas on our poems for your dad and poems for your mum pages.
How it works
- Tell us about them. Their name, their job, and a few details and memories.
- Preview your poem free. It's written in under a minute. If you'd like changes, ask for a rewrite.
- Download and gift. Choose a design and unlock the A4 PDF for £9.99. It's emailed to you within minutes.
Ready to write theirs?
It takes about five minutes, and you'll read the whole poem before you pay a penny.
Start a retirement poemQuestions
Can a whole team give one poem?
Yes. Put the team's name in the 'from' box, such as 'From everyone in Accounts', and gather a few details from different colleagues so the poem feels like it's from all of you.
Can it be funny?
Yes. Tell us you'd like a lighter tone and share the running jokes. If the first version is too serious, ask for a rewrite. Rewrites are free and unlimited before you pay.
Can someone read it out at the leaving do?
Yes. It's written in rhymed verse with a steady rhythm, so it works well read aloud. Print one copy for whoever's reading and another to frame for the person retiring.
How quickly will I get it?
You see a free preview in under a minute. Once you pay, the print-ready PDF arrives by email within minutes, so it's not a problem if the leaving do is tomorrow.