A little drummer boy was I
no earthly gift had I to bring;
that Silent Night so long ago,
to lay before the newborn King.

Hark, the herald angels say,
O, Come All Ye Faithful do;
Peace on Earth & good will to man,
Joy to the whole world, too.

Come, they beckon'd me, Pa Rum Pum-Pum Pum
See this your newborn King, Pa Rum -Pum Pum Pum;
The rags and shoeless feet my story told,
I had no frankincense, no myrrh nor gold.

It Came Upon A Midnight Clear,
I heard, O Holy Night Divine;
Away In A Manger I saw Him lay,
how lowly, thought I, this drum of mine

"I am a poor boy too, Pa Rum Pum-Pum Pum
Just let me hear you play your lil' drum;
your song will be a Gift so rare",
instead I ran so fast away from there.

I put my drum away Pa Rum Pum-Pum Pum,
vowed I'd forget His plea, Pa Rum Pum-Pum Pum;
then Self became my king, Pa Rum Pum-Pum Pum
thought on my own gain everything.

So fast the years flew fleeting by-y-y-y.
my lil' drum forgotten, so thought I;
but why about this time most every year,
Pa Rum Pum-Pum Pum e'er playing in my ear?

Whispering, that still small voice repeats,
"Come Drummer boy I hear your sad heartbeats;
just yield your struggling life to me alone,
I lived to die the ransom your sins atone;
Rum-Pum-Pum Pum!

As memory clamors somewhere deep within,
Pa Rum Pum-Pum Pum too dark my sin-n-n-n;
It's not too late still beats my lil' drum,
Rum-Pum-Pum Pum ~ Rum Pum-Pum Pum!

Perhaps tomorrow, thought unwilling comes,
For now bury every memory of drums,
knowing well when Christmas comes round other
years, Pa Rum Pum-Pum Pum shall muffle Jesus' tears.

I shall not listen, but, go my own way,
Erase thought of the manger where HE lay;
doubting my own eyes, as I know do some,
WHAT is that sound Pa Rum Pum-Pum Pum
Rum Pum-Pum Pum . . . rum pum-pum pu....m?

Mary Carter Mizrany
December 12, 2007
Copyrighted. All rights reserved.

All poems listed in

New Poems