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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Oh, That Sweet Silence!

I like the quick fix
and the easy solution.
That phrase,
I can’t get no relief,
frightens me more
than any existential threat,
and launches me headward
into a vain search
for a panacea.

All can never be said,
nor written,
nor known individually.
It’s a hard truth
to wrap my tongue around,
and yet with my mouth full
the silence can speak volumes.

Oh that sweet silence!
I turn up your volume
by closing my eyes.

The fog lifts
and the clouds part.
Now I can see.
Now I can feel
and know deeply
that nothing is permanent,
and it is always possible
for me to love some more.

How I feel in this moment
does not want to be measured,
requires no diplomacy,
and is not asking for a fight,
a fix or a flight to fantasy.
It requires only my acceptance.