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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Nothing is Missing

Whatever you can’t find will find you.

What have you lost?
There must be something missing
for you always to be so busily
racing against the clock.

I know your yearning
to return to that peaceful place
we’ve both glimpsed in brief moments
and in a peaceful night of sleep.

As I go through life
I am always searching,
scanning my surroundings
for the monsters and demons
I’m certain are lurking everywhere.

Only when I forget myself
do I see the forest through the trees
and the beauty of each leaf;
I trace the streams and rivers
all the way to the ocean
where I am held in the gentle sway
of the moon and her waves.

I become a monster
when I search for monsters.
Nothing is missing.
Nothing is missing.