This piece is a soul-anchoring affirmation for those navigating grief, trauma, or emotional fatigue. It opens with a distilled truth—“Pain refines, but grace restores”—setting the tone for a journey through hardship toward healing.

Themes:

• Resilience: The poem honors the strength found in rising after being weighed down by the past.
• Healing: It reframes pain not as a destroyer, but as a sculptor of wisdom and grace.
• Hope: Each stanza builds toward a crescendo of empowerment, reminding the...

"Beyond the Fear: Embracing Comfort, Honoring Life", is a powerful and ethically charged reflection on the limits of aggressive medical intervention and the moral imperative to prioritize comfort in advanced illness.

The Uganda Poetry Society has announced the establishment of a new literary distinction — The Dr. Ivan Edwards Poetry Award.

This honor, named after Dr. Ivan Edwards, a...

A few of you have asked about the poem, "First Love". It’s one of the earliest poems I wrote—and one of the most personal. It now lives within the pages of my debut collection,...

Silence can be golden . . .
when it’s chosen,
when it’s peaceful,
when it’s rooted in wisdom.

But silence imposed by circumstance?
Silence born of trauma,
stigmatization,
or oppression?
Silence that keeps you from saying what is right?

That silence is not golden.
It’s a cage.
A wound.
A theft.

When silence is forced . . .
by shame,
fear,
or injustice; it doesn’t protect.
It erases.
It robs the world of truth,
of healing,
of transformation.

So, say I: speak.
Even if your voice shakes.
Even if the world isn’t ready....

Published in Medium (He Didn’t Leave You. He Left Himself First. | by Dr. Ivan Edwards | Oct, 2025 | Medium)

Series Title: The Leaving

A poetic duet on emotional abandonment and accountability

This poem dismantles the myth of blame often placed on women when relationships fail. It’s a declaration of truth for those who stayed, who showed up, who held on — and were still left behind.

“You let yourself go,” he says.

No.

He let himself go.

He wasn’t steadfast.

Wasn’t devoted.

Wasn’t committed.

He let you...

Published in Medium (A Melody Born in His Heart. A poetic reflection on divine love… | by Dr. Ivan Edwards | Physician • Poet • Minister | Oct, 2025 | Medium)

A poetic reflection on divine love, cultural beauty, and emotional surrender.

She loves me.

I love her.

Her eyes draw me into her heart,

where I see the beauty of height and breadth . . .

no equivalent to the elegance of Mount Elgon.

Her lips speak, and I quiver . . .

like melted butter in Kampala’s midday sun.

Her hands, slim and sure,

her...