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 Rawness Of a Broken Heart

To touch,
be touched,
to hold,
and to be held.

Just being in this world
increases my yearning.

I got the relationships I deserved:
a marriage based upon neediness,
six years that emptied my soul,
then abandoned me at my darkest hour.

The rawness of a broken heart
keeps you alive
just so it can be felt.
It keeps others away,
forcing you
to really reckon with it.

Go to war with a broken heart at your own peril.
Just let it defeat you.
When the fires subside,
when you exhale your last breath of resistance,
a calm ensues.
In this moment your heart
may again accept the seeds of love.