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.

Search tips

Search by title, first line, poem text, book, or type — results appear as you type. Look inside the poems for any word or line, or wrap a phrase in "quotes" to find it exactly. Use the chips and the book menu to narrow things down.

← All poems

My Patient Companion

You get the chicken by hatching the egg.

There is a patience
undisturbed by my worry,
which I first stumbled upon
somewhere in West Texas.

This prehistoric patience
accompanied me home
making sure to point things out,
the rocks, the trees,
and each different cloud.

Then one day I woke
and my companion was gone,
without even a note or a clue
about why he’d departed.

That was several years ago,
and since that time my life
hasn’t been quite as easy
without him by my side.

Nonetheless,
some days I am blessed
to remember his lessons well.
That’s when I suspect
he’s vacationing nearby.

Published in