HUGH HUGHES

FALL/WINTER 2021 ISSUE #03 POET

HUGH HUGHES is a writer and poet, focusing on both free verse and micro-poetry. He lives in Los Angeles, where he is the president of a non-profit social enterprise that supports women transitioning into permanent housing. When he is not working on poetry or his first high fantasy novel series, he can be found hiking, gardening, or drawing maps and landscapes of the fictional world he created. Hugh holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Hope International University.

BACKSCATTER

They talk of alpenglow, as if it’s solely reserved for the tops of mountains,

but have they ever seen the dried, browning husks

of the canary island palm in the last light of a smog

ridden day, or what about the rusted breast of a seasoned robin,

as it leaches from the sunset?

Then there’s the confounding image of a blue-green ocean,

either reflecting or absorbing the sinking light from the west,

making me unsure

how a mirror works.

Still, I pitch my head forward,

concerning myself with nothing else, but the

practiced blush of dusk,

feeling all too known,

and all too right.