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.
Browse the Twelve Volumes
Brian’s collected pieces, volume by volume.
The Wild Man
I’m getting to know the wise man
tired of his own voice
now turned to gravel.
He’s usually sweet,
but standoffish toward
brutal and wounded men.
Initiation changed him.
Chastened by grace,
he now recognizes his gifts
and offers them to others.
Where words once flowed,
he sits in a pool of stillness.
The only sound he longs to hear
is the rhythm of beating drums.
Look at him closely
and he’ll look back lovingly.
He knows there’s nothing novel
about the scars on his body.
All his stories have merged
with the great myths.
Be gentle with him.
Inside still lives the wild man.