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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No Further Than My Nose

A lament...

I wasted much time
seeking and visiting places
others thought I should go,
and trying to become someone
I could never ever be.

I didn’t trust my inner voice
because it didn’t know me either
and was drowned out by all the noise
from our modern, busy world.

Even worse, my eyes couldn’t see,
because they had no context
for everything on display.
So only my heart remained true
(as our hearts most often do).

I now lament the years
spent wandering in a futile quest
in search of my perfect life,
when all along
it was right in front of me,
no further than my nose.

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