Brian’sPoems

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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My Meditation

The river is my meditation.
After I close my eyes,
it becomes summer and sunny.
I’m sitting atop the Rankin Hill
where I can see a large swath
of the mighty Ohio River.
Over the water to the south
are the green hills of Kentucky.
Below me is the town of Ripley.

I can sit or stand,
it does not matter.
The tree line is below my gaze.
Soon a barge appears,
moving with the current
laden with coal,
heading towards Cincinnati.

Every so often I’m startled
to find myself traveling with the river,
while standing on one of those barges.

Bewildered,
I realize I’ve left the hill.
So I dive into the turbid waters,
swim quickly to the shore
where I climb back to my perch
and return to my meditation;
watching the river
and everything on it float by.

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