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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Much Closer

Objects in the mirror are...

With a great boom
the rocket enters space,
then disappears over the horizon
as it climbs to the precise orbit
where it will deliver its payload.

We clap and cheer.
We marvel at our ingenuity.
We declare space
our final frontier.

The excitement quickly fades,
as even starry-eyed dreamers
must return their focus
much closer to home.

Eventually we discover
new frontiers nearer to us,
which we struggle to comprehend
while living in the outer limits
of our language and empathy.

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