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.
Mea Culpa
I hope she has forgiven me,
says an occasional prayer for my well-being.
I need this from everyone I’ve wronged, no one more than myself.
What do you do when you’ve done the unforgivable?
You forgive yourself.
I still sometimes wonder.
Why must I be forgiven?
The answer does not come so easily.
There is stillness after any great tragedy
a fire, a tornado, a divorce.
I had to lose what I thought most precious
to comprehend the value of my tiny life.
I held tightly to my honorable manhood,
the mythic marriage of my making.
Not even death could’ve saved me.
My salvation, my redemption, my forgiveness:
my insignificance.