Battle Drums

Silence.
Slowly a drum beats begins, soft at first, then growing louder, until it settles into a battle cadence.

Hear the battle drums
Feel their heartbeat
The thunder of the air
They set the tempo
They set the pace
Of this the coming war

In the midst of the beat, a trumpet sounds one long clear note.

Head the trumpet's peel
The call to action
To make haste
And not to delay
For the day is at hand
And the hour now is

In the midst of the beat, the trumpet sounds three times.

How can you not hear?
Does not the very air tremble?
How can you be unaware?
Does the earth not shake?
There is lightning everywhere,
Do you not see?

In the midst of the beat, the trumpet sounds once, as though far away.

The time is now passing

Drums begin to fade, then build louder and quicker. Grows quiet, then loud again. They work themselves fanatically.

Do not delay any longer
Or sit idly on the sidelines
No more time can be wasted
The battle lines have been drawn
The opening melees have been fought
The first push awaits

Drums fade out.

Hear the battle drums
Heed the bugle call

One last faint trumpet sounds, then the drums grow quiet.
Silence.


This is a poem that is meant to be presented in front of an audience, preferably with a live drummer and trumpet.