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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The Soul Organ

By now you must know
when there is nowhere else to go,
you go down deep within,
to that space below your surface,
where everything is hidden and festering
in the sacred waters you’ve made muddy.

Look to somebody who is all soul.
You’ll know her
as the one the rivers follow.
You’ll know him
as the fighter without a fist.
These are your teachers,
the ones you’ve been longing to find.
Let them reach inside you
and pull out what is too near
for you to touch.

They’re showing you your soul!
It lingers just out of your reach
so you can’t interfere with its primary task:
opening you to love.