Childhood & Morocco

ADEMINU

It is the smallest things that make me want to stay forever in my youth:
regularly spending Friday evenings with my family, eating couscous or wheat porridge
with miscellaneous vegetables and meat stacked on top of it—
while gossipmongering about my dad's side.

Grandma, with three fingers and her wrinkled right hand,
forming a slight ball from the stewed wheat porridge
along with baked carrots—
carelessly eating it even if it's sloppy.
No spoons, no forks,
but simply occupied hands of culture.

Come to us,
and we will give you dates and milk to honor you.
We will give you green tea to warm your veins
instead of whisky to burn your heart—
because this is us.

Our hospitality is carved into the depths of our Maghrebi veins
and will always remain a birthmark.

Everything is a picturesque pattern in my country:
variegated walls, gilded cups made for tea and tea only,
sculptural hand-crafted sofas made of natural materials—
rugs, woven baskets, and textiles
like wool pom-pom throws.

Vivid colors, bold patterns.
It's all bohemian and happiness;
and in my youth,
I hoped it would go on indefinitely.

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ADEMINU
ADEMINU is a Moroccan writer and first-year college student whose work explores identity, memory, and the small rituals of everyday life. They have experience in poetry, essays, and translation. They write from blood & ashes, where words pour out like a river of mistakes, memories, and whatever the heart can’t hold anymore.