On an island of music


    in a city of drum beats


    the drum dream girl


    dreamed


    of pounding tall conga drums


    tapping small bongó drums


    and boom boom booming


    with long, loud sticks


    on big, round, silvery


    moon-bright timbales.


    But everyone


    on the island of music


    in the city of drum beats


    believed that only boys


    should play drums


    so the drum dream girl


    had to keep dreaming


    quiet


    secret


    drumbeat


    dreams.


    At outdoor cafés that looked like gardens


    she heard drums played by men


    but when she closed her eyes


    she could also hear


    her own imaginary


    music.


    When she walked under


    wind-wavy palm trees


    in a flower-bright park


    she heard the whir of parrot wings


    the clack of woodpecker beaks


    the dancing tap


    of her own footsteps


    and the comforting pat


    of her own


    heartbeat.


    At carnivals, she listened


    to the rattling beat


    of towering


    dancers


    on stilts


    and the dragon clang


    of costumed drummers


    wearing huge masks.


    At home, her fingertips


    rolled out their own


    dreamy drum rhythm


    on tables and chairs…


    and even though everyone


    kept reminding her that girls


    on the island of music


    have never played drums


    the brave drum dream girl


    dared to play


    tall conga drums


    small bongó drums


    and big, round, silvery


    moon-bright timbales.


    Her hands seemed to fly


    as they rippled


    rapped


    and pounded


    all the rhythms


    of her drum dreams.


    Her big sisters were so excited


    that they invited her to join


    their new all-girl dance band


    but their father said only boys


    should play drums.


    So the drum dream girl


    had to keep dreaming


    and drumming


    alone


    until finally


    her father offered


    to find a music teacher


    who could decide if her drums


    deserved


    to be heard.


    The drum dream girl''s


    teacher was amazed.


    The girl knew so much


    but he taught her more


    and more


    and more


    and she practiced


    and she practiced


    and she practiced


    until the teacher agreed


    that she was ready


    to play her small bongó drums


    outdoors at a starlit café


    that looked like a garden


    where everyone who heard


    her dream-bright music


    sang


    and danced


    and decided


    that girls should always


    be allowed to play


    drums


    and both girls and boys


    should feel free


    to dream.


    By: Margarita Engle