No Other Name
By John Herlihy

As silent as the stars in outer space,
As patient as a cat in a dark place,
As rumbling as thunder overhead,
As urgent as desire forging ahead,
I am filled with passion and longing,
Sitting idle, waiting for belonging.
I contain rhythm and tone sublime,
Musical harmonies that are only mine.

My skin is living and stretched taut,
My value is priceless, I cannot be bought,
Hand-made and sensitive to the touch,
I give myself away far too much,
My shell contains secret messages,
That find a way thru hidden passages,
Deep in the jungle, no human is aware,
Along pathways only I would dare.

My heart beats in rhythmic accord,
Where raw emotions are safely stored.
Autumn leaves and winter snow may fall,
My silence creates expectation most at all.
The sun and moon are luminous globes,
I am dressed, however, in different robes.
My sound travels in invisible waves,
They never break, they just drift away.

Who am I, you may ask?
You may want me to lift my mask.
I can go by no other name,
My virtues give me no shame.
If someone asks, tell them I am the one,
Whose heart beats with its own sun,
Whose sound compares to other than none,
I am proudly the African drum.