‘The Nuances of Love:  Celebrating 40 years of Italian-Canadian voices‘ celebrates 4 decades of the AICW (Association of Italian Canadian Writers). Edited by Christine Sansalone, Diana Iuele-Colilli and Maria Pia Spadafora, this gorgeous anthology is a collection of poetry and prose on the themes of love and friendship. It also celebrates the power and importance of storytelling and community. 46 Italian-Canadian writers contributed to this anthology, and one of them is me!

It is available for purchase for $25.00 (Can)from Guernica Editions and on Amazon.ca

My contribution is a poem.  I do not normally write poetry, as you can tell from the title ‘Vorrei essere una poetessa‘ (I would like to be a poet). Since I can, I am posting it here, but you will have to get your own book if you want to read the other 45 contributions.

The poem was written directly in Italiano.  Since I know a few of you will ask ‘where can I find it in English’ I did a very quick translation. Some of the concepts do not translate well, but I did my best-you can find it at the end.

Vorrei essere una poetessa

Vorrei essere una poetessa.

Così potrei esprimere tutto cio’ che vorrei dire

con parole magiche

che si sciolgono dalla lingua

Vorrei usare parole come affascinante e meraviglioso

per descrivere le cose di cui scriverò

Che posso mettere a parole…..

 

la luce gloriosa del sole estivo di meta’ pomeriggio,

che proietta ombre nascoste sui muri di pietra

 

I suoni allegri dei bambini

quando giocano a calcio

nelle viuzze strette

 

la vista mozzafiato

dalle scogliere sul mare

e la tenerezza della brezza marina

quando ti accarezza le spalle

 

la tavolozza ricca di colori brillanti

come il blu oltremare e terra di Siena bruciata

che diventano un dipinto quando incontrano la tela

 

l’emozione quando uno si trova

adavanti ad un capolavoro di Caravaggio,

con chiaroscuro e luci drammatiche

magnifico da ogni lato

 

Il profumo indimenticabile

del pane appena sfornato

che fa venire l’acquolina in bocca

e fa brontolare la pancia

 

Il gusto di un bicchiere di vino profumato e corposo

fatto con un’uva locale

e condiviso con i migliori amici

che valgono più dell’oro

 

la gioia dell’amore al primo sguardo

e anche la profondità della tristezza

di un cuore spezzato in mille pezzi

per un amore non ricambiato

 

Per tutti questi è difficile trovare le parole,

o scegliere gli aggettivi adeguati

Vorrei essere una poetessa….

purtroppo non trovo le parole

e non so da dove e come cominciare.

Published in:  ‘The Nuances of Love: Celebrating 40 years of Italian-     Canadian voices.  Editors Christine Sansalone, Diana Iuele-Colilli and Maria Pia Spadafora.  Guernica Editions (2025), p 40-41.

In Inglese/in English:

I would like to be a poet

So that I can express everything I want to say

with magical words

that roll off the tongue

I want to use words like fascinating and wonderful

to describe the things I will write about

So that I can put into words…

the glorious light of the mid-afternoon summer sun,

projecting cast shadows on crumbling stone walls

The joyful sounds of children

playing with a soccer ball

in narrow cobblestone streets

the breathtaking view

from cliffs overlooking the sea

and the tenderness of the sea breeze

when it caresses your shoulders

the rich palette of brilliant colors

such as ultramarine blue and burnt sienna

that become a painting when they meet the canvas

the emotion of finding oneself

in front of a masterpiece by Caravaggio,

painted in chiaroscuro, with dramatic lighting

magnificent from every angle

The unforgettable aroma

of freshly baked bread

that makes the mouth water

and the stomach rumble

The taste of a fragrant, full-bodied glass of wine

made with local grapes

and shared with dearest friends

who are worth more than gold

The joy of love at first sight

and also the profound sadness

of a heart shattered into a thousand pieces

for an unrequited love

For all of these, it is difficult to find the words,

or choose the proper adjectives.

I would like to be a poet…

unfortunately, I cannot find the words

and I do not know where or how to begin.

Ciao, Cristina