Old peach tree
blossoms again.
Wind dances and sun sparkles.
Rob Hughes
Old peach tree
blossoms again.
Wind dances and sun sparkles.
Rob Hughes

Old peach tree.
Much fruit born.
Now firewood to warm the heart.
Rob Hughes

Wind
the spirit is on the wind
on your hill or porch or beach
turn your face to the breeze
and let it bathe your skin
and when the strong wind blows
lean in to the force
and find your balance
that gives you strength
it comes from the sea
lifts high above the mountains
and winds through the valleys
to race across the plains
in the city the wind is wild
and turns with every corner
seeking the end of the alley
until it slams against the wall
nowhere to turn
at the end of its journey
a time of reckoning
and a blow to be considered
the hurricane comes quickly
and destroys loose fittings
making a time to build and grow
another chance to get it right
the gentle breeze caresses the soul
thoughtful guidance to a subtle journey
places never dreamed of
and dreams that take you home
may you face the wind and dance
may you touch the wind and know
for the spirit is on the wind
and for you the wind will blow
Rob Hughes
Fall in Topanga
brings rise
to new thought and action
Rob Hughes
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Forgive
and move on.
Much ventured,
much gained.
Rob Hughes
Heard, not seen,
the camellia poured rainwater
when it leaned
Matsuo Munefusa (Basho)
I would like to use
that scarecrow’s tattered clothes
in this midnight frost
Matsuo Munefusa (Basho)

Santa Fe and beyond…
Wife and son beside me, I set out on a new path to converge with a journey that I thought I had lost - headed toward Santa Fe to co-conduct a workshop on personal development, communication and improvisation.
The road from Southern California to Santa Fe is glorious with spectacular changes of geography, weather and culture. Old legendary Route 66 occasionally shows its surviving two lanes as you take the modern highway from the coast on through the desert to the mountain passes and across the rim country to the high plateau and then descend into the Rio Grande valley. At Albuquerque you say good-bye to faithful 40 and old 66 and head north on a different road toward the southern base of the Rockies… and Santa Fe.
It was at this juncture that I suddenly realized that my life would never be the same again.
From orange grove days to beach bonfires to suburban boom and ethnic evolution… from limitless dreams to running with the bighorn to Hollywood hills and ego implosion… from fear of death to fear of life to corporate towers and salivating greed, I was moving on.
Perfect waves and soft sand delight the crowds in the gentle sea breeze. From the beach, you can see all the way to the mountains across the great basin that cradles the ever changing megalopolis of Los Angeles. As a young boy, crawling on the warm sand and dragging my crippled leg, I first heard the call from somewhere on the mountain and beyond. The call was to heal – myself and then others.
My leg healed but my heart faltered.
Through teaching, performing and writing, I began to try and help others and found that indeed, I had an aptitude if not the right attitude to make a positive difference. I saw significant success as my students and audience resonated with what I had to offer. The realization of my aptitude for healing culminated at a conference in Desert Hot Springs when I held the gnarled hand of an elderly woman and saw the hand unfold to her tears and shock. It scared the crap out of me and I ran away… for more than twenty years I ran from the responsibility of dealing with the unfolding of the gnarled hand.
It was only appropriate that I landed in the corporate tower and was seduced by power, materialism and greed.
Fortunately, I survived the corporate jolt of power just as I had survived the hedonism of Hollywood and I returned to my roots, where I began to retrieve and repair my spirit.
Now, the money is almost gone. Debt is extreme. Survival has become paramount and I’ve taken my own advice in these challenging times.
Figure out what you do best, do it better, and do it more.
As we headed north toward Santa Fe, I was visited by an old friend, Fear. This time I did not run. I said “yes” to Fear, “thank-you for your input, but I’m moving on. You will always be my ally but never again will you rule me, for now I am once again following my vision, I have returned to my path and I am stepping back into the light.”
The workshop in Santa Fe was wonderful. Much was learned and there was abundant joy. It was a glorious new beginning and I thank Elsie Maio, Vern Oakley and my wife and son for their belief and support for the mission at hand.
Fork in stream
comes back together
same stream, different way
Rob
Booked a road trip
in a new direction,
on the Santa Fe high way
Rob Hughes

Watching longest day
perched on sidelines
ready to leap on field
Rob Hughes