east of the chippewa river

this is serious stuff the engineer shouted. a calm blue overcomes and the sorrow surrounds. steam all gone by now. nervous snickers, eleven cars back. the flume and the bloom. sudden jolts cause the doors to rock on their hinges and swing as if on a decline. a long decline. into the tunnel with no brakes. oh sugar sugar, don't look that way. i can't bear to see you not being able to bear to see the light at the end. the scarf covers the eyes of the lady at the bar. frozen like some sad modern day comic fair preacher barking at the top of his lungs to a crowd filled with people waiting in line for the port-o-potty. barking the legends of history and country weekend bazaar programs from memory. passed down from his mother's mother, the fairest one east of the chippewa river.