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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First Death

It may be a blessing.

I remember my first death,
sitting slumped over
and skewered by the spear
I had thrust myself upon
by devoting my life
to owning,
to controlling,
to perfecting,
to needless searching
for the gift of being,
which I only realized
at last breath
had been bestowed
upon me at birth.

There is no death
more unceremonious,
nor more traumatic,
than that very first one.
And now I realize
I must die a death each day
while descending
the ladder of consciousness
to the very core of my being,
so that I may rediscover
the love my infant self
brought into this world.

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