The Drum Beat Sounds

Oh how I miss it,
How I reminisce it,
The vigor, the enthusiasm, the adrenaline, the tension…
I miss the ratta-tat-tat of the snares,
The echoing boom of the bass drums dares,
Count by count, step by step,
1…2…1,2,3,4
Heart pounding,
Adrenaline pumping,
Step off,
Click click,
BOOM!
A wall of sound that pierces the air,
Sweeping you off your feet,
And leaving your skull rattling for more,
Sweat dripping,
Counting, 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8&1…
Watching the drum majors,
Lone statues on the box flailing their arms every which way,
Formations, guiding right, dressing diags,
Play and repeat,
Halt, “Park and blow,”
Rhythms rolling through your head,
Listen to the beat,
Feel the beat,
The drums blare,
Setting the beat,
The heart of the band,
Laying down each rhythm,
Breathing hard,
Soaked in sweat,
Mind racing through the notes,
And on that final note,
An explosion of color,
The crowd stands up, cheering and yelling,
As the echo subsides,
The mind slows down,
Your blood begins to flow,
And your heart calms,
But the drum beat still sounds…