Today, I wake up and gaze out the window, so cloudy and dismal is the sky, dark as a night without a moon, a resemblance to the state of our world, a reminder of the light of freedom that is slowly being extinguished. What has brought us to such a state of peril? Unable to see the breath of others as they breathe. Turn a blind eye as if we are the only chosen people who deserve the opportunity. How could we, as a human race, be so blind? To be unable to understand that a terrorist is just that, a terrorist. They have no religion, they have no nationality, they have no heart from which compassion can be nourished to grow. They are a subset of humanity that only knows and understands hatred for all. To acknowledge or say they belong to a
John Ganshaw
religion or a political party is acknowledging they have a right to exist. The crossroads of perpetual darkness are within our view. Only we, as the children of the human race, control the power to light the path. To reject the perils of those who spread and promote hatred. The light of the future is ours to share; it is our responsibility to see that future generations are free of our demise. To stand together hand in hand and speak out against the terrorists. Only if we join together can we defeat the hatred that aims to divide us. Only through acting as one can we ensure that all people enjoy the fundamental rights to exist, in freedom, and the ability for a future without fear, pain, and hurt. Skin is merely the covering of what is held within; it does not define a human, which can only be understood by what beats within. To wake and see a sky free of the darkness of hate will be a day of joy, but it cannot be accomplished by one set of eyes; that can only be achieved by millions of sets of eyes that see, wish, and fight as one. Terrorism breeds when we no longer believe and follow those who tease us into believing that they are the prophet within their speech. Beyond their words, peel back their skin and see that no humanity exists underneath. Terrorists live amongst us all, in every land, and they can even be elected as a leader if given a chance.
John Ganshaw graduated from NYU with a degree in Leadership Development. After a long career in banking, he retired to Cambodia. While living there, John saw the worst of ex-pats and the lasting damage of colonization. John learned that standing up and speaking out has consequences; he was arrested for speaking out against human trafficking, blackmail, and corruption. This led to John spending 13 months in prison and under house arrest. Innocence means less than nothing in a corrupt judicial system. John started writing in 2023 and has published over 100 works, most recently in Montreal Serai, Unapologetic, The Shallot, The Rappahannock, Empyrean, and Adelaide (2025 Poetry Competition Finalist). John writes in hopes that perhaps in some small way his words can bring truth, justice, and change to this fucked up world.
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