Poem: “Sounds of a Cowhide Drum” by Oswald Mbuyiseni Mtshali

📚 Need a custom study guide on any literary text? Get the best study guide money can buy from us at Literature PADI! Detailed, insightful, and crafted by literature experts to give you maximum value for your money.
[See Pricing & Details!]

Sounds of a Cowhide Drum

Boom Boom Boom 
I hear it far in the northern skies
a rumble and a roar of thunder

I prick my ears
like a buck ready to flee from an imminent storm

Boom! Boom! Boom! 
As it rolls nearer
and nearer to the southern sky 
it holds my heart
my hopes soaring high into the eagle's throne.

Boom! Boom! Boom!
I am the drum of your dormant soul, 
cut from the black hide of a sacrificial cow.

I am the spirit of your ancestors, 
habitant in hallowed huts,
eager to protect, 
forever vigilant.

Let me tell you of your precious heritage, 
of your glorious past trampled by the conqueror, 
destroyed by the zeal of a missionary.

I lay bare facts for scrutiny 
by your searching mind, 
all declarations and dogmas.

O! Hear me, Child! 
in the Zulu dance
shaking their hearts into a frenzy.

O! Hear me, Child!
in the night vigil of black Zionists 
lifting their spirits into ecstasy.

Boom! Boom! Boom!
That is the sound of a cowhide drum - 
the Voice of Mother Africa.

— Oswald Mbuyiseni Mtshali

Join Our Social Media Channels:

• WhatsApp: Literature PADI
• Telegram: Literature PADI
• YouTube: @literaturepadi
• Facebook: Literature PADI

We also have two WhatsApp chatrooms with a little above 1,300 like-minded members. You can join any of them for further literary discussions:

1. Literature PADI (Group 1)
2. Literature PADI (Group 2)

Ensure you join one at a time to allow others to be part of our wonderful community.