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.

Search tips

Search by title, first line, poem text, book, or type — results appear as you type. Look inside the poems for any word or line, or wrap a phrase in "quotes" to find it exactly. Use the chips and the book menu to narrow things down.


Little Spirits

...all conspiring together.

The reality of who I am
is often in the shadow
of the amiable person
you think you know.

Right behind me,
maybe off to the side,
sits an angry child,
bitter at the world he sees
for not appreciating
his good intentions.

And right next to him
is a happy little girl
singing and dancing,
urging him to join along,
but he shakes his head
telling her he must work.

There are many more
of these tiny little spirits,
none of them evil,
just faithful followers
I like to keep hidden
and at a safe distance.

If you know me well
you may have glimpsed them.
Just realize those behind you
have likely seen them too,
and now they’re no doubt
all conspiring together.

Published in