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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Tenderness

Let’s try a little.

Try a little tenderness.
Everything is made more difficult
through resentment and resistance
and pushing back on anything
now pushing against you.

Through physics we learn
every action produces
an equal and opposite reaction.

Through relationships we learn
a yes is easily met with a no,
and big questions are never settled.

The solution is simple:
We must try a little tenderness,
and only offer resistance
when it’s in everyone’s best interest.

We can only expect tenderness
from those who experience tenderness.