Love Poem: The Natives
Christine Phillips Avatar
Written by: Christine Phillips

The Natives

I can hear the drums beating
They are beckoning me to come
I can hear the drums beating
Murmuring what is taking me so long
I can hear the drums beating  
And it is singing a merry little song
I can hear the drums beating
And it is calling me to have fun
Bang, bang, bang
 The drum beat echoes through the air
Climbing mountains and penetrating the fountain
Spilling water all around and soaking the ground.
The drum is calling me to come 
But I don't know how long to wait
The drum is calling me to come so don’t be long
A sudden silence passes though the room
And I could feel someone’s presence standing by
Then the drilling machine sound across the street 
Creeps silently through the door crying
Man or God, spirit or pleasure 
I closed my eyes to block out the sinful image
They congregate around the workshop 
Polishing furniture with handmade cloth
Talking loud while the drills are shouting out
The man base voice kept rumbling and
I kept here them saying
“You do the right thing”
But I have no clue
What they were saying 
“You have done the right thing”
I kept hearing the same
Sentence repeating 
I have heard it from men
And I have heard it from women
But I still cannot grasp their meaning
I retrieve myself to my own private council 
To see if I could get some consolation
But the words kept repeating to me
“You are a woman of integrity and dignity”
I really did not want a character assessment 
All I needed was a close friend 
Just to touch my soul for and make me bold
But no one was there to share my innate feeling 
I held fast to my conviction 
that I had to experience this affliction
so I kept searching for a solution
But all I feel was this bu shfu (uncomfortable) feeling inside
That kept pulling my tears occasionally
It is not a feeling of loneliness
Neither it is one of happiness
It is the feeling that has me trapped
When no one is watching my back
I am not sorry for myself,
I was just seeking some comfort
When all I have is to live with me inside me
The days kept lingering on
And the community is tired of the same song
singing all day long ,but in the midst of it
 I kept holding on
I can feel a cool breeze blowing over my skin
And the clouds above me are smiling
There is hope looking down on me
And it feels like someone is sitting beside me
The drums are beating again and I can feel their pain
They are calling me to come and join them 
I can hear the crowd shouting out
And the people are walking around
And dancing to a distance sound
The night is almost fallen
The traffic is building up
And the natives are wandering about the town
Night in hand, pocket and pen
The rooster and the hen
And the lion in the den