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