POEMS by Ada Rizzo

LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS

In the silent night, a cry

Another story of stolen dreams

Fragments of life cast aside next to a woman who weeps for her body, her soul

No more smiles, no more promises

Shattered dreams rolling on the ground like beads from a broken necklace

She is a warrior without weapons, yet even so violated, she is not an object, a shadow in the dark,

She will rise again as she is the strength of those who do not give up, she is the mother, the witch, the sister, the daughter, she is all of us women who fight to shine.

She is a full moon of light, an explosion of fire.

She is the infinite woman, the creator of life who defies every pain and from the darkness… is reborn!

WOMEN

Women who uphold an uncertain and suspended world

Women whose arms, if lowered, would cause the very sky to fall

Do you see them? They are as strong as white cliffs battered by the Maestrale winds of life

Do you hear them? Often they sing in the dark, but they are not crazy; they summon courage to chase away fear.

And at night, they dream of a buttery future that they will spread on their slices of bread at breakfast in the morning, adding love for their children.

They are strong because they have had no other choice, but they need a warm embrace, time, and tenderness to confront the violence that dances in the dark.

In the silence of night, they dry their tears, gather their dreams, and keep them like small glimmers to illuminate a dawn that is yet to come.

Their hands interweade threads of courage, strength, and fragility like weft and warp of an invisible fabric that wraps around and supports their souls.

As the world moves at the mercy of the winds, the women remain steadfast and radiate light like a beacon in the midst of the storm.

One, none, a hundred thousand women walking lightly and unrelentingly along their path, shining because they have chosen to denounce the violence disguised as love...

they have chosen to continue shining despite everything.

Ada Rizzo, a Sicilian-born Life Counselor and Mindfulness Facilitator, has reinvented herself after a 30-year IBM career. She's published five novels, tackling sensitive topics like eating disorders, heart transplantation, and gender-based violence, earning her several literary awards and recognitions for her contributions to art, culture, peace, and social justice. Her writing often explores themes of human connection and personal growth.