Brian’sPoems

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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Winter Solstice

A season of pregnant stillness.

Winter solstice approaches
and the nights now
outlast the days,
while the gray clouds
hug the hillsides
as they dust decaying leaves
with powdery ice crystals.

The Earth is soggy,
saturated and fecund,
full of water and biomass.
The air smells sweet
and still carries a hint
of summer’s humid touch.

What does it mean
to be alive in the winter?

I walk Simon
through quiet city streets,
marveling at his talent
for finding things to smell
in this frozen landscape.

There’s something subtle happening
with death so close at hand.
All of our holidays and rituals
seem to be ways of saying:
So be it.

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