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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My Own Worst Enemy

I am.

I suppose others saw it
sooner than I ever could.
From a distance they whispered,
He’s his own worst enemy.

These middle years are tough.
Life’s disappointments mount.
There’s now a ledger of losses,
which can never be reconciled.

And no matter how much
I try to hold on to,
there’s always more escaping
out my back door.

I’ve worked hard,
tried to do things right.
I fought and I fixed,
but life kept coming
wave after wave.

I’m tired of resisting,
forever living the cliché,
running against the wind,
paddling upstream.

My prayer is simple.
I ask for a community
to share this burden
that I once truly thought
was mine alone to bear.

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