May 1, 2023
The Small Gods of Morning and Fire
I usually wake early each morning, make coffee and write for at least 15 minutes while my mind is still in a dreamlike state. That time often becomes an hour or more. I call these sessions Fast Write sessions. They are unstructured. Lines and sentences that are unrelated are often juxtaposed. These are the seeds from which poems and short stories often emerge later on, sometimes years later. This poem which first appeared in Issue 13, Winter 2021 of the Glint Literary Journal, emerged nearly whole. I hope you enjoy it. “Soldier on, keep on loving.” — Frank
The Small Gods of Morning and Fire
Frank Jamison
The small gods of morning direct our Matins.
They murmur things we know and don’t know.
They rustle in the twilight, whisper from the trees.
They say keep going.
They dress like birds.
They say I am is a complete sentence.
Their language is hustle in springtime,
in winter it’s huddle by the fire.
They dwell in the glowing coals where
looking like flames they wink out at us
as we hunker to await the next big bang,
the gleam of an understanding.
They shout through their cupped hands
even though we can’t hear.
They tell us to poke up the flame,
soldier on, keep on loving.