Forever Beauty Will Live by John Ganshaw

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

The pain runs deep with so much hurt carried on the current, looking back
seeing all that was done, the suffering all at the hands of others, yet 
having no regret, no ill wishes for those at the helm of what was done.  I see
the beauty that was always surrounding me, the dew on the grass 
glistening in the morning sun, the hugs of the evening colors as they set
on the horizon, wrapping me and caressing me to see all that is good. Sitting in
the rain feeling and absorbing the tears of others so all would have less 
to bear.  Each drop that strikes me awakens the soul, smiling as the water cascades
down my face and arms, soon my body will be part of the storm waiting to subside 
and pass, able to move on.  Storms and turbulence can last for 
years, always there, lurking and waiting, dark clouds sit on the horizon. Where 
all bad memories rest and sleep, there is beauty to be found, the beauty that lives,
the beauty that longs to be seen and felt.  This was you.  When my days were full of 
misery and my soul so lost, you were the brightness that guided me to a
haven, a place where love was felt.  Your beauty was internal, your caring I thought
unmatched, your touch so warm and kiss so gentle.  I cannot hate you for what you 
have done, that is a job for others.  I can only see you as who I knew you were, 
even if you didn’t.  After each storm, there is a rainbow to be seen, in the darkest hours
I see and feel all you created, never to be taken away.  In time all will be healed
the scars, though there will be harder to see, the pain will be less and less, and the hurt
will be locked away.  The beauty you created will live forever unobscured by all
that was taken.  The beauty of life knows no boundaries, escapes all hate, and repels the
evil that so easily can be consumed. The beauty will create smiles, laughter,
and joy when packing and leaving for the next journey.  

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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John to see the world through a different lens, leading him to write his story through essays, poetry, and a yet unpublished memoir.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.