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.
My Father's Voice
That voice in my head
is my father’s voice,
ever reminding me
of my responsibilities
and his expectations.
I can hear it even now,
critical,
disappointed,
uncompromising.
It’s not the kind of voice
which tells a joke with ease
or allows you to quit work early.
It’s not exactly the voice of love,
but of love made exacting.
It’s the voice of his father,
but not the voice of my grandfather.
I took my father’s voice
and made it mine.
Now it lives inside my head
where I’m happy to let it languish
while I listen to the voice
in my heart.