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.


Wise Counsel

...is abetted by necessity.

In the cold too bitter
and the wind too fierce,
I watched the first half
feeling a bit dejected.

I stood there frozen,
like a marionette tethered
to a barbaric puppet master
whose outdated and macho ideas
of what it means to be a real fan
had superseded any common sense.

At halftime I proposed
we seek out a warmer place
to view the second half,
and perhaps better enjoy
a hard-fought victory.

My friend blinked in disbelief,
then slowly began to absorb
the once heretical notion
of ever leaving a game early.

In fact, he now found leaving
quite agreeable after wise counsel
from his frozen toes.

Published in