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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The Grocery

...a place to ponder our existence.

Every week I go to the grocery.
Shopping is oftentimes mundane,
but at others it can be existential,
involving a trip to the pharmacy
or the search for wholesome
and nourishing foods.

This morning at the grocery
I thought of my grandparents,
born early in the twentieth century
and passed away right before the twenty-first.
I then found myself wondering
what life was like for them at my age.

As I close my eyes
I can picture them standing
in an aisle labeled Humanity.
One of them picks up a colorful can,
squints to read the ingredients.
It’s past the expiration date
and so they hurriedly put it back.

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