8 Active Aging Week | SEPTEMBER 12, 2026
PASSION WITH A PURPOSE: How the Company of Poets Engages Senior Communities BY KRISTIN MARAND
recently released a self-published collection featuring 13 poets ranging in age from 22 to 79, from three countries, called In the Com- pany of Poets: Inviting Joy. The book, as well as the Company’s performances, are produced in conjunction with Dr. James Hargrove, a retired biological scientist and poet. Bay and Hargrove have also been working on a project to turn poems into songs with the help of AI. “Under the leadership of our producer James Hargrove, we began taking poetry and transposing it to songs and videos using various computer tools, and this has proven to be a big hit at both care facilities with big screen TVs, and now around the world with sharing services like YouTube.” Looking ahead, the Company of Poets is planning a remote service for isolated commu- nities using Zoom and is exploring expanding the Company’s offerings to public settings such as open mics and intimate venues like coffee - houses. Bay says that the Company currently deploys several regular readers and partici- pants, but they’re always looking for one more special reader - somebody who has an innate ability to connect with seniors. n Facilities and interested parties may contact Bay via email to discuss possible opportunities at beatnik57@gmail.com.
S taying mentally engaged as we age is just as important as staying physically fit. Mental engagement can help create new connections in the brain, combat memory decline, lift mood, and bring a sense of purpose to daily activities. The more proactive we can be about maintaining our capacities, the longer we can remain independent and enjoy the things we love. For one local poetry lover, sharing verses with senior communities has become a passion with a purpose. Morris Bay, the founder of the Company of Poets and self-proclaimed “hobo poet whose sole purpose is to find a purpose,” was once a bookseller with his own shop, Beatnik Village Bookshop. Company of Poets was founded, he says, as a retirement project, “half out of foolishness and half driven by my background in book selling.” He says his love for poetry grew from the least popular part of his bookstores.
Nobody was buying poetry books at the time, so he ended up in the little section reading them. Over four years, the Company of Poets has grown into a revolving collective of 90 volunteer poets, storytellers, musicians and presenters who bring their offerings to seniors at private shows in hospitals, care homes and 55 plus centres. The Company has performed more than 100 shows at 11 senior facilities, engaging with thousands of residents. “It’s not a business. If we had currency, I would say it would be joy,” Bay explains. “It’s a move- ment. It’s more about the company than the actual poetry. So when outsiders say you’re providing the company, in essence, the seniors at our facilities provide us their company, their time, their stories, their heartbreaks and their joys. To be honest, it’s a blessing and a gift.” In addition to visiting and engaging with senior communities, the Company of Poets
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