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 Stomach

It’s on mornings like this
when I realize the stomach
has a greater task
than simply taking food
and turning it over
into a useful human energy.

The stomach is an instinctual organ.
It knows things by means
which you and I cannot comprehend.
It contains ancient memories
of our very being,
and translates echoes from the past
into our daily action.

Whether calm or churning,
the stomach is right.
It will let us know
what’s good and bad for us,
even when we refuse to listen.

It was my stomach
which made me sit down
and stop thinking my life,
so I would begin to feel it.