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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Good Grief

...the very best kind.

I hear you saying,
I don’t feel very good.
I want to get better.
I want to feel better.
If I could only get
this monkey off my back,
I might actually become
a more loving human being.

I ponder that voice –
so familiar
for so many years,
ringing in my ears,
causing me headaches,
yet unable to do
that which must be done.

The oft-repeated slogan goes –
nothing changes,
if nothing changes.

What this helps me to know
is what my weary soul desires.
It wants to go into the darkness:
all those places I’d rather not go.
It wants to encounter people I don’t like
while I admit my shortcomings, and
to make amends, when possible,
doing no harm
to others or myself.

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