THE TALKING DRUMMER
From your shoulder hangs
The magic that talks the tales
And sings the tonic solfa
A cylinder with delicate animal skin
Of distinguished fashion
That makes the double face
And well treated leather strings
That clothe the carved wood
The expert hand holds
The cornered cudgel of flat
Button top that tortures
The drum to talk the tales
And sings the do-re-me
And to aid, the other hand
Squeezes the leather strings
Which regulate the tone and sound.
This happy artist in his glorious task
Rocking up and down, left and right
With bended knee and grinning smiles
And sweat training down his body
As he makes his magic talk a word
That forced a smile out of me;
’Twas my name
The drum sounded with a proverb
Olu Obaseki
EDITOR’S NOTE
Source: Archiving (Nigeria Magazine, Sunday, March 1, 1970).