Drums Tell the Story

The drums could be heard far away across the savannah they travelled spreading, telling the awful news of the awful deaths and suffering One village drums talking to another as much as fifty or so miles away dreadful news they told the listeners everywhere lie the dead animals Of the worst drought in living memory people dying like flies with thirst animals stuck in mud trying to reach the last remaining precious drops The last few drops of brackenish water bloated carcass's everywhere you look hopeless in people's eyes watching when will the monsoon rains arrive? The drums beat ever louder and faster but no help can they bring to sufferers only water can do that, can rejuvenate and bring some hope to this parched land Bring back life, and fresh greenery for all now the drum tone changes becomes insistent rain two hundred miles away will it reach? often it stops, but not this time Soon the rivers burst their banks flooding in what seems an instance all springs back that life saving water has rejuvenated all bringing fresh hope and life returns abundantly there are two things that Africa needs to survive rain and sun. The failure of either causes such suffering to both man and beast the other danger is floods they can wash whole roads away sometimes leaving a crater that a bus would not quite fill so then the roads remain impassable until the dry season which could be 4-5 months away Just think you turn a tap and hey presto water. Animals and people daily have to walk 20-50 miles daily just to drink