Dr. Ivan Edwards Poet Free verse

Before I Leave You, Dear 40s

The Decade of Anchored Light: Living Rooted, Radiant, and Unapologetic

Dear 40s,
Now, I am 49 — about to leave you.

In my forties,
I stopped performing strength.
I began practicing peace.
No need to prove anything,
anymore.

They call it midlife crisis.
But you know what I think?
It’s choosing what finally fits —
even if it means letting go of everything that doesn’t.

I stopped arguing with clocks.
I stopped racing silence like it was a finish line.
I learned that rest isn’t laziness.
That letting go isn’t failure.

It is ok to rest
and even say “NO.”

I stopped rushing toward destinations that
drained me.
I stopped dancing for rooms that never clapped.

At forty-five,
I kept my joy private.
I stopped explaining my ‘softness.’
I started honoring it.

No need to explain.
Accept me or not . . .
I no longer needed applause to feel worthy.
I no longer feared solitude.

I became anchored . . .
not in certainty,
but in intention.

And the light I carry now?
It doesn’t flicker for attention.
It glows for legacy.

Financial independence didn’t arrive with fanfare;
it arrived with quiet choices,
with knowing I could walk away
and still be whole.

Job security wasn’t a title;
it was trust in my own consistency.
The kind built over years,
not moments.

Proficiency wasn’t perfection.
It was fluency in what matters.
It was knowing the rhythm of my own excellence.

And acceptance?
That was the hardest.

To look at my achievements
and not downplay them.
To say,
“Yes, I did that.”
Without shrinking.
Without apology.

In my forties,
I stopped auditioning for belonging.
I started living like I already belonged.

And that . . .
that was the beginning of peace.


(Published - Medium, The Healing Convergence Publication)

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Gershon Wolf November 1, 2025 at 9:08 PM Congratulations, Dr. Edwards. On to the 50's now, where I predict that you will find your counsel sought more and more every year. ~ Gershon Dr. Ivan Edwards November 2, 2025 at 9:35 PM Many thanks!! You are right - 50s is the decade of sought-after counsel, I’ll do my best to offer it with humility, humor, and maybe a few spreadsheets.