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

Killjoy

Is there a more loathed person
than the killjoy?
A cult leader-murderer-despot
has more friends
than the sober man or woman
pointing to the obvious.

No one wants the party to end,
but no one can tell you
exactly when it began,
and for whom,
and why.

There can be no abolishing
of the joy deep within you
which first flowered
the day you discovered
your beauty and being
in beloved union with God.

Nothing,
no one,
can kill the inherent joy of your being,
except you.

Once you have it,
you have it.
Others may throw shade,
still nothing can snuff
the joyous fires within you.

Maybe those we call killjoys
are only frustrated prophets,
allergic to inauthenticity,
as well as the delusion
and utter decadence
of sending a sports car into orbit.

Published in