Talkin' DrumsKinsman Quarterly15 hours ago1 min readLiz JohnstonWhat them drums say? What them drums mean? I could hear them talkin’— I think they talkin’ to me. A whisper in the crowd even though the beat was loud piercing through my body sound surroundin’ me in a smoky cloud. They sayin’ somethin’ bout me movin’ but I swore my feet were still. Then I felt my body start swayin’ and my head throw itself back, my face shot up toward the sky. I felt my body shakin’—my hands lifted high. I felt weightless I was air with every hit of the cow skin, the snare was wondrous, wild, without care I said: I want to see my people.Drums said, “they here with you.” I want to free my people. They said, “first, free you.” I want to speak their languages. They said, “it’s speakin’ through the drums.” Why can’t I stop dancin’? Drums said, “it’s called talkin’ in tongues.” What happens when the music stops? Drums said, “there is no such thing— these drums, they always beating, and they beating from within.”
Liz JohnstonWhat them drums say? What them drums mean? I could hear them talkin’— I think they talkin’ to me. A whisper in the crowd even though the beat was loud piercing through my body sound surroundin’ me in a smoky cloud. They sayin’ somethin’ bout me movin’ but I swore my feet were still. Then I felt my body start swayin’ and my head throw itself back, my face shot up toward the sky. I felt my body shakin’—my hands lifted high. I felt weightless I was air with every hit of the cow skin, the snare was wondrous, wild, without care I said: I want to see my people.Drums said, “they here with you.” I want to free my people. They said, “first, free you.” I want to speak their languages. They said, “it’s speakin’ through the drums.” Why can’t I stop dancin’? Drums said, “it’s called talkin’ in tongues.” What happens when the music stops? Drums said, “there is no such thing— these drums, they always beating, and they beating from within.”
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