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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A Fool Like Me

I have been redeemed as a fool,
a real sucker,
for the story of a man transformed
and denuded,
by the very same God
he thought had hardened
and made him impenetrable
to this world.

Yes, I am a fool
because I resisted the gift
of acknowledging my brokenness
and mending my heart
as I helped to mend others.

You too must know
a kind and gentle man,
his blood and tears overflowing,
his touch lighter than a butterfly,
his love as vast
and mysterious to him
as the ocean.

This man is a sucker
and a fool like me.
He wastes no time
writing things in stone,
and his life
makes a lover’s mess.