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.


Let the Mystery Be

You’ve got no answers.
So why is it you think your life’s an explanation?
For what?
For whom?

You see cause and effect,
and mistake this for God.
For God -
god sakes!

No matter how hard you try,
God can’t be sold through salvation,
through prosperity, shot glasses, pill bottles,
or even 5K runs for charity.
But you already know this
‘cause you’ve been awake at 3am
uneasy and uncertain,
staring into the dark.

Just because you’ve doubled-down on a 13,
don’t think you’ll ever know God’s hand.
If you do understand anything at all about God,
it’s because you’ve let the mystery be.