Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE DRUMS, by BERTON BRALEY


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE DRUMS, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: Tumpy-tum-tump; tumpy-tum-tump
Last Line: Way for the drums—make room!
Subject(s): Drums; Musical Instruments


Tumpy-tum-tump; tumpy-tum-tump—
Hark to the sound of the drums,
Tumpy-tum-tump; tumpy-tum-tump;
The beat and the thud that you feel in your blood,
The heart-shaking rhythm that comes
With thunder and throb of the drums,
The Drums! The Drums!
R-r-rat-a-tat-tat, r-r-rat-a-tat-tat, r-r-rat-a-tat-tat, and boom!
Way for the drums, make room!

For the roll of the drums is a time-honored tone—
The mightiest music the planet has known.
It rumbled its summons to primitive man—
Reverberant rhythm that gathered the clan.
It beat out a challenge to frighten the foe
And thudded a dirge for the warriors laid low.
The Drums! The Drums!
Oh, down all the ages there comes
The echoing boom of the drums;
Drums out of Egypt and drums from Cathay,
Rolling a thunderous note through the fray.
Roman and Greek,
Saxon and Frank
Heard the drums speak—
Rank upon rank
Answered the call with a deep-throated roar;
Wild drums of Attila, Red Scourge of War,
Spread the loud tidings of horror and fear;
So, through the centuries ever we hear
Drums sounding slowly and drums beating fast
Over the world in a symphony vast;
Down to the depths of our nature it plumbs.
(Tumpy-tum-tump! Tumpy-tum-tump!)
Militant surge of the drums!
The Drums! The Drums!
They stir us from sloth that benumbs.
Bass drums and kettle-drums thundering loud,
Snare drums that startle and hearten the crowd,
Lifting the soul as they quicken their beat,
Throbbing with triumph and mocking defeat,
Voice of adventure and vaunt of romance,
Daring the wrath of the grim gods of chance—
All in the rhythm that dauntlessly comes
Out of the drums! Out of the drums!

Tumpy-tum-tump! Tumpy-tum-tump!
Hark to the sound of the drums.
Tumpy-tum-tump! Tumpy-tum-tump!
The beat and the thud that you feel in your blood—
The heart-shaking rhythm that comes
With thunder and throb of the drums!
R-r-rat-a-tat-tat, r-r-rat-a-tat-tat, r-r-rat-a-tat-tat, and boom!
Way for the drums, way for the drums,
Way for the drums—make room!





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