Theory i came up with on the toilet: Quarters takes place just before the Nonagonocalypse, and things are starting to change, people know bad things are on the way and theyre leaving to seek a betrer life for themselves.

Proof:

The River:

"Frozen over home The fading light shines on the white stone Melt your little zone And sink into the waterfall flow"

"I can't believe it It is frozen"

"Once you're where I led It will be clear what I have said Float without a home The river flows like another long road"

Things are starting to get murky (frozen home), and the main character (maybe croc) knows what is happening and is warning people, telling them to follow the frozen river to safety?

opening quatrain in God is in the Rhythm:

"Earth by the moon Darker days come soon Owl sings a tune Surely she knows too"

People are starting to get savvy to what's coming and are getting ready

"Earth by the stars We have all come from Mars We all know it too We belong to the soup"

Now this could be a major breakthrough - the characters are all from Mars. Mars had an apocalypse and became inhabitable, so people came from Mars to Earth to start again. But now it's happening again and they know they may be the cause....

Also, God is in the Rhythm - God is Mr Beat???

Lonely Steel Sheet Flyer: "lover it won't be easy while I'm gone Blinder I will be, dead and awake see, I'll mourn"

People are on the run, knowing the worst is to come but accepting it and preparing themselves

Might be worth looking into more but that's a start