The first time I encountered it, I felt an affinity for Steampunk. Heck, I was raised on it. Most of the family males for a couple of generations worked in Pittsburgh's various mills and factories. When I visited my cousins in North Versailles, usually on Friday evenings, we'd climb to one of the higher streets and watch the light show from the steel mill in nearby McKeesport. Hissing steam, flying sparks, thundering clamours (and, often, sulfurous fumes) from various sources were a regular feature of my girlhood. On a more intimate note, some of my favorite childhood memories come from accompanying my Grandfather into the cellar, to observe and sometimes assist when he stoked the coal-burning furnace that heated our house. It was a thrill when he opened the door to the fire chamber, a glowing maw into which I tossed newspapers and odd pieces of old wood, while my Grandfather shoveled in the coal. To me it was a domesticated version of the huge, dangerous, noisy, legendary mills that were the life blood of every town strung along the Monongahela River.
This piece was inspired by Three Muses "Steampunk" theme for this week. Thanks for the inspiration!
