Vellum

The Dodo isn't Dead

I wince looking at my half peeled banana dangling above

the office kitchen table. I go to throw him in the bin.

Woah hold on buddy, what's going on? Shouts Keyode

as he blocks the skin from falling all the way, cradling it

in both hands. It’s off! It's got all those mushy bits on it.

My mum leaves them until they get like that to make a dessert,

it's not off, that's where it tastes best, try it. I bite down

into a squelchy brown patch, and a vision of every banana

I’ve thrown away in the last twenty seven years comes to mind,

like a flipbook animation. There’s no way I can make it up to you,

you went all sweet to try to sell your seeds and I threw you away.

I'm sorry... whenever you tell me it's time to pollinate again

the next place you’ll see is the pan to become alloco

and I’ll go somewhere in the sun… I promise you that.