An Ode to Plantain

My dearest plantain, Bereba, how could you forget  how we both took care of each other ?
The love we shared, the memories we've knit in mama's kitchen
Your incomparable sweetness and ability to energise someone 6 to 6 still haunt me like the scars of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
It's like a longing within

In ripe or unripe moments, I adore your comforting strength and taste
Your love I explore
Fried, boiled, or roasted, your sweetness remains
A flavorful solace soothing my always welcoming mouth

Your absence leaves an aching void
A hunger no other love can quench
My heart yearns for your tender loving care
The warmth of your presence beyond compare

Oh, plantain love, how I miss your gentle charm
The way you'd melt in my arms, dispel alarm
Your loving essence, a balm to my soul
You have always been my heart's goal not just because we are neighbours in Niger Delta

It's as if the harmattan wind has blown you westward
But it wouldn't change my respect
Where love and longing bridge forever

"Plantain's Response"

My love, I've never forgotten thee,
Though seasons passed and distances created sting
In every ripening stage, I thought of thee,
Longing to reunite, wild and free
Especially in your favourite kkf

My sweetness, fried or boiled, was made for thee,
To comfort thy soul and set thee free
In roasted moments, our love would gleam,
A flavorful bond, a heart's wildest dream

Thy tender touch, I yearn to feel anew,
To melt in thy arms as love shines through
My curves, soft skin, and gentle charm,
Were crafted for thee to dispel alarm

In every kitchen where I'm prepared,
My heart beats for thee, my love, impaired
By thy love, my ripeness is complete,
Together our love, forever sweet.


Ouseibai Bright Ebi