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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Conceit of Knowing

We’d all be screwed
with just one shot
to figure our lives out,
then make our mark.

All this doing can’t possibly be
what it means to be alive.
How can we truly measure one life,
yet alone all of life?

I still hold the conceit of knowing,
and it becomes less satisfying every day.
So now I readjust my aim,
yet still can’t discern my target.

Those with good intentions
have done less for me
than others with ill-intent,
who play in the gaping holes
of our well-constructed reality.

My dogs have given me more
than my rational mind can reduce
into easily digestible answers.
They turn round and round,
then flop down knowing full well,
there’s not always a comfortable place to sit.

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