Dr. Ivan Edwards Poet Free verse

Before I Leave you, Dear 50s

The Counsel Years: Truth Spoken, Love Extended, Legacy Built

Dear 50s,
Now, I am 59 — about to leave you.

You were the decade I 
finally bought the dream sports car,
but forgot where I parked it.
I took up dancing…
but my knees filed a formal complaint.
Especially in the mornings.
They now creak in Morse code.

At 51, 
I became my parents’ parent.
The roles reversed so fast,
I needed a chiropractor.
No longer “son”
. . . I became the 
Chief Medication Officer,
Head of Remote-Control Retrieval,
The Trusted Bookkeeper. 

Dad and Mom kept retelling 
stories
they’d told me a dozen times before . . . 
the same ones 
their parents had told them.
Only difference?
They forgot they were doing 
the same to me now.
I adored them . . .  
more deeply than ever,
even when 
they called me 
by the dog’s name.

Then came the twist:
My grandparent found a companion. 
A real one.
Not the bingo partner I assumed.
They were spoiled, smitten,
and suddenly more emotionally available
than my adult children.

At 53, 
some of my siblings 
became allergic to responsibility
and elected me 
as the family’s designated adult.
I didn’t apply for the job.
I just showed up too often
with snacks and spreadsheets.
Apparently, that’s how you get promoted.

Then came the greatest thrill:
I became a grandpa.
Spoiled ‘em grandkids rotten.
Sent them back sticky and loud.
A perfect revenge.
They now call me “Grampsicle.”
I wear it with pride.

My spouse? Comfortable.
We could finally afford trips
that didn’t involve folding chairs or cousins.

Retirement edged closer.
I began saving like it was a competitive sport.
I even considered medals for couponing.
This was the last run before throwing in the towel—
so I threw on my cheaters,
booked my first colonoscopy,
and bought that 25th anniversary diamond ring
with the same hand
that now needed arthritis cream.

I started coloring my hair
to combat the grays.
The dye held.
My dignity? Less so.

I stopped chasing youth
more than twice a week.
Heck, time was running faster
than I did
to the finish line.

I started chasing fiber instead.
My belly grew curious . . . about regularity.
My hair grew…less.
I noticed…
I began to resemble my father—just a little.
Enough to nod at the mirror and say,
“Well played, genetics. Well played.”
Then I moisturized and moved on.

Work became fluency, not frenzy.
Expertise replaced ambition.
I spoke truth without trembling.
I loved wide, 
without needing permission.

My doctor became my motivational speaker:
“Get this done. Get that checked.
Or the decades ahead will be bumpy.”
So I listened. Mostly.
He still texts me reminders.
I call it medical spam.
He calls it “preventive care.”
We agree to disagree.

I realized I was being called “sir”
by younger people more than ever.
When I mentioned
Ricky Nelson and the Beatles,
they looked at me
like I’d named ancient Chinese philosophers.
“Who are those people?”

Generational shifts weren’t subtle…
they were loud, wireless, and streaming.

My adult kids started agreeing with me more.
Nodding a lot. Like bobble-heads.
Just as I used to do with my parents.
I was reliving the life I once watched them live…
right before me.
It’s like déjà vu with Wi-Fi.

I got more involved in church and civic life,
making up for years I hadn’t.
Then I realized…
I didn’t care.
I was set.
I was okay.
I had paid my dues.
And I kept the receipts.

Dear 50s, 
You were the decade I embodied wisdom,
and occasionally misplaced my reading glasses.
You taught me that living whole
means laughing at the parts that creak.

I’m not done dancing.
But I’ve learned to stretch first.

And if I ever find that sports car again…
I’ll drive it slowly.
With the seat heater on.
And the GPS volume turned way up.

Because dignity may fade
but Bluetooth survives.

Dear 50s, I will miss you. 
You were the best decade I’ve ever experienced.
60s…
Here I come.
With a full heart,
A half-full pillbox,
And a playlist that still includes the Beatles . . . 

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