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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Tripped

Stumbling in the darkness.

She turns on her hair dryer.
The house goes completely dark
as the circuit is tripped.
I sit in stillness for a moment
taking in the sudden silence,
then sigh and blink my way
along a shadowy corridor
until I find the garage.

She asks,
Can we have that fixed?
I don’t respond.
She’s probably forgotten
an electrician is coming tomorrow.

It’s not her fault.
It’s not my fault.
It’s not even a big deal.
It’s a metaphor
for what happens
when anything becomes
overloaded.

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