This poem first appeared in Glint Literary Journal, Issue 13, Winter 2022. I wake early each morning to make coffee and then, while my mind is still in a dreamlike state, I write for at least 15 minutes which typically turns into an hour or more. I call these sessions, Fast Write sessions. They are unstructured and I can write about anything that comes to mind. Often unrelated sentences and lines are juxtaposed. These writings often become poems or short stories long after the fact of their writing. This one was an exception. It emerged close to being a finished poem. I hope you enjoy it. “Soldier on, keep 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.