Hey, little scavenger, check your pockets twice! One for the wrench and one for the spice! At the edge of town where the sand runs wide, I hunt old junk with a grin outside. Drone wreckage, fuel cans, starship plates, Wind-dug treasures by the city gates. My pass-token bounced on a rusty chain, I patted my coat in the blowing grain. “Easy-peasy!” I laughed—then froze: No little token. Uh-oh, here goes! Where’d it go? Where’d it go? Under the sand in a twirly tornado! Dig, dig, dig till your fingers say “no!” Find that pass before the night winds blow! The storm went WHAP with a sandy slap, A snake slid by in a dune-shaped trap. I climbed the shuttle, an ancient old hulk, My jacket went snag with a terrible yulk! Clink went the token, snap went the chain, Down it disappeared like a coin down a drain. I blinked at the dune. “That’s not very fair.” The dune just wiggled. “It’s hiding somewhere!” Where’d it go? Where’d it go? Under the sand in a twirly tornado! Dig, dig, dig till your fingers say “no!” Find that pass before the night winds blow! Left pocket—nothing! Right pocket—dust! Inside my boot—one sandwich crust! Behind the fuel can—old metal spoon! Under the shuttle—snake says, “Move soon!” I dig by the wreck and I dig by the tire, I dig while the sky turns orange with fire. The city gate waits, the daylight gets thin— If I don’t find that token, I’m sleeping with tin! Night comes crawling over the dune, The wind starts howling at a hungry tune. “Grrrr,” say the snakes, “you’d better be quick!” I find one round thing—just a bottle cap. Trick! Where’d it go? Where’d it go? Under the sand in a twirly tornado! Dig, dig, dig—wait, what’s that shine? A tiny bright token in a pocket of mine! It was in my pocket the whole day through! The inside pocket—my favorite one, too! I marched through the gate with a dusty hello: “Next time, little token… please don’t play hide-and-go!”
