I Hear the Beating of the Drum

 Christine McFarlane is a published writer-with three creative stories "Choosing the Path to Healing" in Growing Up Girl- Voices from Marginalized Spaces, "As A Child" in Yellow Medicine Review.Most recently a short story "Mother: An Essay" was published in the Spring 2011 Issue of Yellow Medicine Review, a poem "I Remember" in xxx ndn, a book by the Aboriginal Writer's Collective of Manitoba, and a short story titled "The ER" published by Survivor Chronicles. Christine contributes and writes a regular column titled "Life's Journey" in the Native Canadian newsletter of Toronto Ontario, writes regularly for Anishinabek News, and First Nations House magazine that is based out of the University of Toronto. She is the recipient of the President's Award 2011 from the University of Toronto for Most Outstanding Native Student of the Year. Lastly, she writes occasionally for Windspeaker and likes to experiment with different genres- going from journalistic style, memoir, poetry and prose.

                                                           I Hear The Beating of the Drum:

                                                           Guest Blog: Christine McFarlane

I hear the beating

Of the drum

Voices rise

In unison

Hey a

Hey a

I hear the beating

Of the drum

Voices rise

In unison

Pride rises

Within

Hey a

Hey

I hear the beating

Of the drum

Voices rise

In unison

My foot

Begins to tap

I want to sing

Raise my voice

Alongside everyone

Hey a

Hey a

I want to dance

Just like the dancers

Who circle the drum

I feel happiness

A sense of calm

As I stand and listen

To Mother Earth’s

Heart beat

I hear the beating

Of the drum

Voices rise

In unison

It’s like the shawl

I have kept wrapped around me

Has risen

Hey a

Hey a

I am home