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

The Way of Love

I write this poem
and every other poem,
to hold my seething resentment
and to teach me the way of love.

My soul rages at injustice,
though the greatest injustice I’ve suffered
was an unfaithful wife
who took more than she gave.

Even so, I’m mad as hell.
Yet there’s no one to forgive but myself
for being born with such a wonderful view
near the top of pharaoh’s pyramid,
and for not knowing personally
the expectation tomorrow will be worse.

The greatest gift I’ve been given
is the privilege to fail,
and the grace to create myself anew,
covered in the primordial mud of life.

Published in