Beauty Speaks by John Ganshaw

A large tree in the middle of green woodland. Large white text reads: Beauty Speaks. Smaller text reads: Discussing disabled characters in fairy tales and folklore.

 A sky so bright this crisp morning of Spring
Tulips are fading away and start their departure
Lilacs await to appear, buds beginning to pop to
present their fashion of white, purple, and deep 
reds.  Closing my eyes, I can smell the essence 
of my aunts.  The fragrance hugs and holds
me tight, giving me a little pinch on the cheeks.
I see them lining the streets in their Sunday bests, 
waving and smiling as I stroll by.  Cherry blossoms
of glory pink lie on the sidewalk in wait, creating a 
cotton candy carpet to wrap my feet.  Trodden by
hundreds before me yet fresh and luscious still the 
same, as if touched for the first time, a virgin to me.  
The beauty I’m surrounded by reminds me of all
that has been taken for granted as I begin my sixtieth
summer.  I’m like an Oak or Maple that casts a 
canopy over this avenue I walk.  So much has been
seen and witnessed in all these years.  The scars I 
bear upon my bark and within my rings. Arms
outstretched as a protector for those who walk
underneath.  Shield all from the elements and let 
this encourages the being to open up and absorb the 
the warmth of all that lives and all that is being spoken
through the beauty that exists.

---

About the author:
After 31 years in banking, it was time for John to retire and follow his dream of owning a hotel in Southeast Asia.  This led to many new experiences enabling John to see the world through a different lens, leading him to write his story through essays, poetry, and a yet unpublished memoir. John’s work has appeared in Native Skin, Runamok Books/Growerly, Post Roe Alternatives, Empyrean Literary Magazine, OMQ, Open Door Magazine, SCARS poems and short stories, among others.  Nothing is as it seems, and experiences are meant to shape us not define us. Life has hope, truth, and adventure, all leading to stories that need to be written and told.