San Jose, Ca. 95125
Up at the crack of dawn
to the clanging sound of
the steam engine fire box door.
Hmmm, smell the smoke from the steamer stack,
the smell of oil frying on the boiler shell.
Then that smell you can’t resist-
of breakfast from the cook shack.
After a hearty meal-oh, boy!
A blast of the whistle,
the sound of the engineer bringing the engine to life.
That hum of the cylinder,
the roar of the blower.
A machine man’s yell, ‘Pitch the bundles in.’
Oh, boy. That longed for smell is here
of fresh threshed grain, straw and chaff.
The threshing is on.
I exist the rest of the year for the day
the threshing bee is here.
