WHEN I TURN FORTY

Is it really true that life begins at age forty?
On the eve of this turning, I woke to a story.
A streak of light danced on the windowsill,
Birds chirped a symphony, a morning thrill.

I blinked through the haze, to wake my eyes,
In the mirror, I greeted him with a big surprise!
“Who are you?” I whispered at the sight of me,
“Once a boy, a young man, what else to see?”

Now with sinewed arms, holding a family tight,
Gone are the days, once of a carefree delight.
Time rushed me past, I am still here, unbound,
Yet, I'm on the verge of something profound.
Forty loomed large, yet I sensed not a dread,
Wisdom whispered softly, “Live now instead.
Yesterday’s history, and tomorrow’s a dream,
Today’s a gift, therefore, let gratitude gleam".

I opened the window to a cool morning breeze,
Its sweetest embrace brought me to my knees.
Then a gentle face beamed from a crib nearby,
My one-year-old baby's pure smile, I passed by.

Just as I savored this tender moment to embrace,
Time’s tick-tock is telling me to quicken my pace.
The shower, the breakfast, the suit, and the keys,
A race against time, I handled it with much ease.

On my way was a melody as sweet as the dawn,
A song from my childhood, my innocence shone.
Clad in white, I sang it with a heart full of delight,
Tears flowed on my cheeks as I relived that sight.

Time rushes by, so quickly, yet memories stay,
Loved ones could fade, but never gone astray.
In the echoes of joy, in the warmth of the past,
There's beauty of living, because I hold on fast.

Age at forty is a tapestry where colors collide,
A lesson in strife, in victory, in joy, and in pride.
Simple moments, once lost, now shine bright,
A life I have been given, is a wondrous delight.

With eyes open wide, lost moments, I restore,
Life at forty's a challenge, and so much more.
I gather the fragments, the good and the wise,
In the grand fabric of time, the heart never lies.