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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Just a Gambol

Pack a parachute.

All those who could,
but not all who wanted,
escaped to California,
Texas or Florida,
where winters aren’t harassing
and the circumstances
of being human
don’t seem to matter
quite so much.

Those warm places
are now overcrowded.
Meanwhile, we’re waking
to the realization that life
follows us wherever we go,
and even a successful jump
may in fact be just a gambol
from one crumbling rock
to another.