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.

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.

← All poems

I Keep on Writing

...in league with my soul.

I cautiously read back
the words written for you,
afraid of what I might find
hidden in the phrasing.

Everything I write
starts innocently enough,
with only the best intentions.

Yet sooner or later,
I discover a man speaking
with a foot firmly in his mouth.

Still I keep on writing,
to remind myself it’s okay.

I keep on writing,
to remind myself I’m alive.

Then I keep on writing
to remind myself this endeavor
is forever a work in progress,
and that even the Gospels
struggle under scrutiny
to satisfy the fickle mind.

Published in