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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Old Ben

I’m sure I’ll always remember
the madman standing on the corner.
He stood there in the heat and in the cold,
but never in the rain.
He wore his army issue jacket.
He told me and my friend his name was Ben.
His hair was prematurely white
and his beard prickly.
His stubble bothered me,
yet I didn’t know why.

He said things I couldn’t understand.
His eyes were black
because he’d been visited by death.
In his own way he warned us boys
about the horror of war.
But we were too young
and more afraid of him.

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