In a blur of gears and a haze of steam
Frequently feeling like a feverish dream
The whistle’s hiss, the motor’s whirr
Oh, Industrial Revolution, you make my heart stir
Gone are the days when we arose with the sun
Our time on the farms is over and done
Clouds shift, white to gray as smokestacks dot the sky
The world transformed without anyone asking why
Oh my heart beats like a brand new bride
When the whistle screams out, calling me inside
As the steel gates rise before me,
Workers flow into the building like a wave in the sea
Large looming factories now grow from the land
In the places where corn and wheat used to stand
The hum of machines fills the world with a song
Like a melody of progress where I belong
Steam engine! Telegraph! Cotton gin!
You are modern and sleek, filling my heart to the brim
While some may lament your pushing us to progress
Oh, Industrial Revolution, I must confess
I love how you brought us into a new age
Releasing us from our agrarian cage
Kate Simpkins is in 9th grade and loves to read, write and walk her dog, Obix, an incorrigible yellow lab. Kate lives in Wynnewood, PA with her two brothers and parents. Kate is a citizen scientist for Monarch Watch and spends her summers tracking the migration patterns of Monarch butterflies.