Drums in the Mind

Lyrics

[Intro]

[Verse 1]
In the dimly lit studio at the Institute of Noetic Sciences,
Petaluma, California, early 2000s,
I sit with you, my worn djembe,
goat-skin head taut under my fingers,
sweat stains from hands before mine.
Mickey Hart, born September 11, 1943,
spoke of you as a bridge to the primal brain,
a reset button in rhythm.
Your thud vibrates through my chest,
syncing with the afternoon light at 4:30 PM,
cedarwood incense curling in the warm 78 degrees.

[Chorus]
Drums in the mind, you whisper to my neurons,
lowering cortisol like Barry Bittman's study in 2001,
shifting waves on the EEG cap's 64 electrodes.
Beat by beat, you heal the fractures,
primal connection pulling me back from the edge.

[Verse 2]
Remember that session on July 12, 2019, in Oakland,
sweat beading as we hit 120 BPM,
metronome clicking in the background.
You, my djembe, with your earthy resonance,
tangling with the hum of monitors,
activating the occipital lobe,
vivid colors blooming behind closed eyes.
No visual spark, just your rhythm,
bypassing thought, hitting the nervous system direct.

[Bridge]
In the gaps, the unnamed facilitators,
indigenous teachers whose names fade in records,
their hands on you before mine,
teaching resilience without words.
You carry their stories, drum,
in every strike, every echo.

[Chorus]
Drums in the mind, you whisper to my neurons,
lowering cortisol like Barry Bittman's study in 2001,
shifting waves on the EEG cap's 64 electrodes.
Beat by beat, you heal the fractures,
primal connection pulling me back from the edge.

[Outro]
Stay with me, djembe,
in this warm room of rhythms,
resetting the mind, one pulse at a time.