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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Browse the Twelve Volumes
Brian’s collected pieces, volume by volume.
How “My Father” Is a Damaged Word for Me?
The heavy hand of father
came not from my dad,
but from the clouds above
where a white-bearded man
would cast arbitrary bolts of lightning
down upon those he judged unworthy
and were thus made unfortunate.
My dad treated me
no worse than he treated himself.
His silence
reflected God’s silence.
His cold shoulder
let me know when God was angry.
Through my father’s experience
I came to know God
as he was taught
and as his father was taught
before him.
The ashes of our history
now rise to the heavens.
On top sits a tiny, tiny man.
Pray tell me brother and sister,
Who is your father?