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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What All This Means

...is to come out from your hiding.

Rumi says not to hide
inside of your anger,
and I would add,
nor inside of
your fear and shame.

Remember a time
when you sat at a table
and someone lit a candle.
The dancing flame cast you into
contrasting light and shadow.
When the wick crackled
it seemed to be saying,
Stay awake!
Stay awake!

What all this means
is to awaken like a child,
wide-eyed and burning to know,
drinking in light and darkness
down through your toes
as you yearn to grow,
to change and become
exactly who
this Universe
wants you to be.