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| Ada Rizzo |
Light in the darkness
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!
In the silence of the world
I imagine Peace as fertile soil that nurtures and makes the seeds of kindness, tolerance, and love sprout
In the heart of every person lies a deep desire for peace
Its
true essence can be captured in the smile of a child, the outstretched hand of
a friend, and the warmth of an embrace
Peace is a yearning, a dream that goes beyond words and actions
It is something that dwells within our inner universe
It is a symphony of harmony and justice that resonates in the silence of our souls
It is an aspiration shared by every individual who believes in a better future
Peace is a long and challenging journey that requires courage, compassion, and a deep faith in humanity
Every human being is called to tear down the walls of fear to build bridges of courage, solidarity, and mutual love
Each of us can become the creator of a work of art that we can create together, a delicate fabric in which the warp and weft are intertwined threads of hope and dreams
In our world so marked by conflicts and divisions, peace can become the light that guides our hopes and invites us to see diversity as an opportunity, not as a threat
In the silence of the world, every day the call for peace resonates: let us listen to it !
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.
I, Survivor
As I exit the courtroom, I look at my rapist, or
rather, I challenge his gaze so fiercely that he lowers his head. I could tell
him, "If you're hoping my heart will explode and that I will die, forget
about it!" Instead, I say, "Know that there were moments when I
feared I wouldn't make it, but I managed to get through it. The rape was not
just an unfortunate incident during a night of sex. You planned it all. Stop
pretending. You punished me because I said no; you raped me because you saw me
as your property, a thing, a possession of yours. You showed me no respect; you
humiliated me, erased my identity. You couldn't handle a rejection. You were a
bastard!
I hardly have words left. No, I doI find them, and
they pour out like a raging river: I didn't consider you a man; you were a
beast!
That was not love. It was hate, violence, power,
dominance, control. It was all the worst that can be done to a woman.
You are the cause; I am the effect. It was you who
threw me into that hell, you who kept me submerged in that darkness, time and
again. That night, on life's chessboard, you chose to knock down both towers,
and we both fell.
You devastated me inside, taking away my self-esteem,
my privacy, my joy, my time, my intimacy, my security, my identity, my very
voice. In the early days, I could hardly speak. When I started to do so, I
stuttered... I couldn't master the words to express the violence you inflicted
upon me. I had to struggle and relearn how to look at and accept my body. It
felt so violated, dirty, that I didn't want it anymore. I wanted to forget
it... like you might with a nightmare. You can't give me back the life I had
before that night. It's embarrassing how fragile and delicate I still feel. I
move through my new life like a child learning to walk alone, without an adult
as my safe harbor. You have no idea how hard I have worked to piece together
the parts of myself that shattered that night. It felt like living in a cage,
with the invisible bars tattooed on my skin, and most of all in my emotions, in
that part deep within me where I could no longer find comfort and peace.
There are times when I don't want to be touched. I
want to tell you that the damage was done primarily to me. You should have
never made me fight so long to prove something so evident from the very
beginning: I am the victim; you are the guilty!
What happened that night cannot be erased. However, we
both have a choice: we can allow it to destroy us, or we can confront it. I
have accepted the pain; you accept the punishment. In a sense, we cannot save
ourselves alone. I want to tell you that, aside from ourselves, it is always
the other who can save or destroy us. You tried to annihilate me, to objectify
me, stripping me of my identity. Those who listened to me with interest,
affection, and empathy restored my dimension as a human subject.
There have been times when I felt so vulnerable that I
was destroyed by trauma, but over time I became resilient enough to overcome it
and regenerate.
I walk away from the courthouse with my head held
high, aware of my strength and resilience. My voice was firm, my words clear
and unequivocal. I'm rebuilding my life, and I won't let my past define my
future.
Excerpt from the
novel 'Twenty-Four Carats'
by Ada Rizzo
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| Ada Rizzo |
Ada Rizzo was born in Sicily in 1960.
Her life
is built on solid roots and traditional values. Optimistic, cheerful, curious,
and creative, she is interested in art and psychology. She loves to cook and
adores music. After a thirty-year career at IBM Italy, she decided to reinvent
herself. For several years now, she has been a Life Counselor with a
humanistic-relational approach and a Facilitator in Mindfulness.
In 2021, she published her first novel with a
strong autobiographical tone titled “Volevo il tacco dodici?”, which received
an honorary mention at the intercontinental literary award “Le Nove Muse.”
She wrote the introduction to the poetry
collection “Il Rumore dell’acqua” by Italian poet Andrea Ruiu.
In 2022, she published her second novel “Iris
Ali di Vetro,” which addresses the delicate topic of eating disorders (ED).
In 2023, she published her third novel “Novanta
battiti al minuto”, a true story that tackles the sensitive issue of heart
transplantation, for which she received the Jury Prize at the International
Literary Art Award Cygnus Aureus 2024.
In 2024, she published “Ventiquattro Carati”,
where she addresses the theme of gender-based violence, a work awarded at the
International Literary Art Award La Via dei Libri.
Due to the subjects covered in her books, the
author has received several recognitions, including the “International Award
for Peace and Human Rights Defense Italy 2023” , the “Civic Merit Award for
Solidarity and Inclusion of People with Disabilities 2023”, "Solidarity
Award for Art and Civic Engagement 2024", “Reconocimiento Internacional
Mujer Destacada 2024” for her dedication to art, culture, peace, and social
justice in the world.
In 2024 she participated in the international
cultural project for peace and the defense of human rights, from which the
anthology “Art without Borders” was born, a poetic collection that brings
together 36 international poets and artists. Her piece "Nel silenzio del
mondo" is part of this anthology.
Life has taken her everywhere,
Love has brought her home.
Email: ada.rizzo.ricci@gmail. com
