Leila's Drum

When Leila beats her drum, she beats it loud,
And louder still whenever she gets mad.
She pounds it like the thunder from a cloud
Until she irritates both mom and dad.
Tha-thump, tha-thump, tha-thump, tha-thump, tha-thump!
Ba-boom, ba-boom, ba-boom, ba-boom, ba-boom!
The toys upon our shelves all shake and jump,
And all the other children leave the room.
But I know Leila isn’t being mean;
She only beats her drum to hide her eyes.
She doesn’t want her teardrops to be seen,
Or anyone to hear her when she cries.
But when her drumming doesn’t calm her fears,
I gently try to wipe away her tears.