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

Old Boat

I can feel the morning tide coming in,
lifting my hull effortlessly out of the mud.
Tiny creatures are clinging more tightly to my sides
as we all begin to sway back and forth.

This briny water is cold and opaque.
The sea is pushing it’s swollen mass ashore.
All around me seems calm and serene,
yet beneath the surface I feel the tickle of fish.

The familiar rhythm of this ritual lulls me to sleep.
Then thoughts of the noonday rouse me suddenly.
Every old boat knows when the dawn is coming.
“Soon,” says the hungry seagull floating by.

Published in