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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Weary Confession

...from a little traveler...

I like to think
little frightens me.

By now I do know my death
may happen very suddenly
and I’ll have no time for fear.

Or it may unfold more slowly,
at which time I may struggle
to remain present.

Either way, my life has been
a series of sober discoveries,
a long, winding journey through
the narrow twists and turns
of celebration and tragedy.

But I must confess,
what frightens me most
is the evident accumulation
on my body of wear and tear,
which, with each passing year,
is unable to endure the same
stress and physical beating
I once thought it could,
and no longer wishes
to go to battle in vain.