My Very First Drum

In 2005 I lived for a few months with Charmian and Darryl, my sister and brother-in-law in Glentham, a tiny village in  Lincolnshire, England, with a population of just over 250 people.  

For me it was a perfect time.  I loved the country life and helping out in the village store which Darryl and Charm owned.   The village store comprises everything from bank and post office, to grocer and even the off licence.

My favourite pastimes included walking through farmlands with the dogs; going for bicycle rides and just getting back into the nature of life.  

It was also a time during which I wrote so many wonderful poems. 

This little children's poem was one of the poems I wrote during that time and I'm delighted that I found a picture which so suits the tone of the poem.  I do hope you enjoy it.

My Very First Drum

Grandad said

He knew where to find

An empty pepper tin

To make me a drum

My very first drum

So we climbed

And we climbed

The wooden stairs

Right up to the attic

A very large room

Grandad said

It’s the granary

Where the salted bacon’s kept

Where the ham is kept as well

It’s all stored here

On huge great big hooks

Hanging and ready

To be hauled downstairs

For dinner or lunch

Made by your Mum or Gran

Grandad found

The empty tin

Up on the shelf

Where he’d put it himself

In the corner of the room

In great excitement I took off the lid

And my nose took off as well

I sneezed and sneezed

Grandad chuckled and wheezed

Well it was the pepper tin

Grandad polished

Until the tin sparkled and shone

Made a hole in the top

And the bottom

Then he threaded some string

Clean through the holes

And there it was

A beautiful thing

All shiny and bright

My very first drum