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

Winter Range

The guns are never far away.

I like being outdoors
with the snow falling
in fluffy, wet flakes,
and as far as I can see
the world a seasonal delight.

What I don’t like
are the nearby gunshots,
someone practicing their aim
while disturbing my peace
and violating the white surrender
of this beautiful winter day.

I see a tranquil scene,
but I hear a world
at war with itself.
Bang!
(now the echo)
Bang!
(now the echo)
Boom!
(now the echo)

I close my eyes
and picture crimson snow.

The winter is speaking,
yet I can’t quite hear its words
with all the bang, bang, boom
of those mindless bullets.

Published in