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.


The Ghost

The ghost comes
first as a scraggly, gray hair.
His approach is slow,
but lo!
Behold his swift advance,
the steady march
from knee to neck
and in between.
The ghost knows
you feel his coming
and fear the day
he begins to dim
the light in your eyes.
He will have everything
available for the taking,
but not your soul—
unless you give it to him.