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.

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What I'd Say

...to the sixteen-year-old me.

That’s easy.
I’d say little or nothing.

Besides,
to my recollection
he doesn’t much like
being told what to do,
and could never understand
why all the older men he knows
are grumpy and half-dead.

He’d probably see me
exactly the same way.
And it frightens me
that he might be right.

I’m often irritable,
defeated and bewildered,
unsure what to do next,
if anything at all.

I guess I’d probably try
to show him a smile,
tell him a dirty joke
and remind him failure,
or even walking away,
are possible options,
but love will always be
the only conclusion.

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