"The Silken Drum" is the title of a play based on an Asian fable. There are various translations and versions throughout the world. In the story, a young gardener falls in love with the beautiful young daughter of the house (sometimes described as a princess). He often sees her walking in the gardens with her attendants. He tries, but fails, to attract her eye. She does not simply ignore him; she looks through him as if he does not exist.
One day, the gardener meets a gnarled old woman, who tells him that there is a silken drum hanging from a tree in the garden, and that if he can get the drum to sound, he will win the lady's heart.
So the gardener goes to the drum, and begins beating on it. He beats and beats the drum, but, of course, a silken drumhead makes no sound. He tries and tries until eventually his heart bursts, and he dies.
He goes to the netherworld, where his resentment of the young woman grows.
Eventually, the young woman dies (I don't recall why or when) and she joins him in the netherworld. She is pleased to see a familiar face, but he proceeds to make her suffer for ignoring him in life. The rest of the play is not pleasant.
I have taken SilkenDrum as an alter-ego because I liked the idea of a drum floating in the breeze, making no sound, disturbing no one except those who unreasonably ask of it more than it is willing to give.
(Of course, there can be a lot more interpretations, some even involving the word "nonfunctional". But I like mine. Also note that the title of the play is not "The Frustrated Gardener". It's "The Silken Drum" for a reason.)
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