starving chain

We were held up by a new town that had settled on the tracks
The engineer fought the mayor in a high-stakes handsome-off
Our hopes were lower than high
So I told the Blue Muslim to move the barber's chair or else we'd have to open the fifth gate
And ask the furnace what's the buzz
What's the buzz, fire and gray?
The news was good, talk of circle paths and underground bridges
And frigid horizons, to keep the food fresh and far away
Rumble, bumble, mumble, said the engine
Tumble, crumble, humble, said the hill
Escape plans, getaway hours
Ample, sample, trample, said the busy
Not a sound example, said the still
Everyone was out the windows by now, short of port
Eyeing and disembarking, since the doors were locked
At this new pretty limits dock
We covered our ears with newspaper and shoveltwine
And set up our shoes for a stretch
The all of us, squaring through buzzing and humming of lights
And new water mains and new houses built on old dirt
And old houses moved, to lean on fresh earth and block new wind
The engineer stayed and became the new mayor, he was so handsome
And the other mayor stayed and became the old mayor, he was good-looking too
And we walked and we walked and we walked
And the sky said blurry, scurry, hurry
And the wind said swoosh, whoosh, rush