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.

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Melancholia

She writes about a man
who comes upon an injured woman,
and though he recognizes his damaged soul
in her wounded body,
he is unable to cry
because working in a foundry without goggles
has damaged his tear ducts.

I ask myself what to make of such a scene.
It’s not unusual to be wounded,
or to be clinging to life,
or for a man to be unable to cry,
his tears dry and on the inside.

The melancholia of this age is real.
Even as the sun rises in amazing hues
and the flowers bloom in gorgeous splendor,
we must weep and attend to the wounded,
we must hug and console each other.

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