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.

Search tips

Search by title, first line, poem text, book, or type — results appear as you type. Look inside the poems for any word or line, or wrap a phrase in "quotes" to find it exactly. Use the chips and the book menu to narrow things down.


A Love Letter

...to myself...

You’re tired,
exhausted,
spent and needing
time away
from everyone,
from everything
now clinging
to your sense
of obligation,
responsibility,
duty and determination
to do the right thing
for love of family,
of community,
of country,
and perhaps secretly,
for the love of power,
prestige and property.

I don’t think it’s your fault.

What has pushed you
to the precipice of burnout
is the fear of falling behind,
and the obvious wear and tear
of all those precious years
spent racing around foolishly.

But that’s no longer possible.

The truth of your life
has caught up to you.