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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Nothing Beyond Living

This is the task at hand.

A voice inside commands:
just sit down and do it.
So I summon the discipline
to sit down and start doing.
Countless others also heed
this same merciless voice,
as all of us seem to be busy
doing a little something.

It starts early in the day
when alarms are triggered.
Next, the water pressure falls
at the nearby pumping station
and the breeze begins to swell
with the faint smell of coffee.
Soon roads will be congested
with the cars of sleepy travelers,
all heeding that stern urging:
it must be done.

Meanwhile, a child watches
as squirrels chase each other
round and round a tree trunk.
Her school bus approaches
but she hears no voice.
She hasn’t yet forgotten
only her life is inevitable,
and she’s nothing to do today
beyond living.

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