The Collected Writings of Brian J. Mueller

A single poem, met at the right moment, can change a life.

Search and read all 1,834 pieces by Brian J. Mueller — 1,675 poems, 38 prose pieces, and 121 haiku from 12 published volumes. Free to read and share.

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Christmas Arrives

A wish to bring forth the spirits of joy and peace.

Christmas now arrives in July,
coming first to small stores
strewn along the interstate,
but also to online retailers
seeking an easy solution
for sagging summer sales.

Christmas comes next in December,
or maybe even earlier in November,
after Halloween and before Thanksgiving.
The first clue might be the wintry air
or the lights on city lampposts,
but probably it’s the ubiquitous ads
for gifts beyond compare.

Yet if we’re very lucky,
Christmas will appear as suddenly as
a hiccup belching forth a breath of air,
bearing upon it an expectant joy
buoyed by the great release
of a tiny redemptive spirit
brought forth in new life.

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