Gears grind,
shafts spin,
belts hum across iron beams.
Hammers strike,
rivets fly,
sparks leap in arcs of fire.
Men climb ladders,
hands grease wheels,
faces streaked with sweat and soot.
Steam bellows,
pistons push,
steam whistles cut through the roar.
Conveyors carry steel plates,
presses fold metal,
wheels rotate with unerring rhythm.
Hands, eyes, arms,
machines and men,
a city of labor built in motion.