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 Is My Way of the Cross?

I groan
because my cross is heavy.
I carry its weight inside of me,
invisible,
pressing on my lungs
and on my heart.

I can’t breathe.
Where’ve I heard that before?

He can’t breathe.
She can’t breathe.
The weight of the cross
is being used against us!

At every intersection
I encounter something
coming at me
from all directions.
Suddenly I am at the crux of the cross
where opportunities collide
and the only reconciliation
is my submission
to a mystical truth,
which says nothing
but says it so well.

The cross on the hill looms,
especially in the afternoon.

Some carry their crosses
with the burden of a heavy, dirty soul.
I pray the cross will carry me
toward humility,
toward compassion,
toward a deeper understanding,
of love and abundance

My way is winding,
and my cross the symbol
of the confounding contradictions
within the divine incarnate.