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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Spinning

I remember watching the turntable
spinning slowly at 33 rpm.
Once the record ended,
the needle would bob back-and-forth
in about an inch of space,
popping and clicking,
waiting for someone,
or the nifty robot mechanism,
to lift it off the vinyl.

This comes to mind,
an old memory now metaphor
for the monotonous spinning of my life.
Even flipped over on the B-side,
it’s the same old song.

The best I can do
is use the velvet cloth
to keep my life
from getting too dusty,
while waiting patiently,
ever more patiently,
to be lifted onto
some new songs.