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.
Browse the Twelve Volumes
Brian’s collected pieces, volume by volume.
No Country for Old Men
This is indeed no country for old men,
nor a place for young men in flip-flops.
There is not enough beer, liquor, wine,
to smooth these jagged rocks,
to tame these angry snakes,
to seduce a gentle rain.
Men and women alike
become quite small here
through seeing great distances
and watching the play of light
slither across the ragged landscape.
It all means precious little
if we do not take the sun
and shine its light inward.
Too many years in the desert
leaves spots on our faces,
the wind blowing dust and pushing up wrinkles
until we take our place among the fallen rocks.