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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Fire and Ice

...brings the soul alive.

Come to me hot.
Come to me cold.
But if you are tepid,
don’t come at all.

I want your fire and ice,
not platitudes and half-truths
diced with apples and cinnamon,
baked into the American Dream.

Life is lived in fire and ice.
Everyone baptized by heartache
knows this as the gospel truth.

From the fiery chaos of relationship,
to the icy wilderness of loneliness,
God is stirring us in one great pot.

Take the education.
Take the spouse.
Take the job.
Take the house.
Take the money.
Take retirement, too.
Take whatever the middle gives you,
but for the soul it just won’t do.