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!

Translated in Bangla by Tasneem Hossain

অন্ধকারে আলো 

নিস্তব্ধ রাতে, কান্না।  

ভেঙ্গে যাওয়া স্বপ্নের আরেকটি গল্প।    

জীবনের কিছু নিক্ষিপ্ত খন্ড, একটি নারীর যে তার দেহ, তার আত্মার জন্য কাঁদে     

আর হাসি নেই, আর প্রতিশ্রুতি নেই,   

ভেঙ্গে যাওয়া গলার পুঁতির মতো মাটিতে গড়াগড়ি খাচ্ছে স্বপ্নগুলো।   

সে অস্ত্রবিহীন যোদ্ধা, যদিও বা লাঞ্চিত, সে কোন বস্তু নয়, অন্ধকারে ছায়া ও নয়,  

সে আবার জেগে উঠবে, কেননা, সে যারা হাল ছেড়েছে সে তাদের শক্তি,   

সে মা, জাদুকরী, বোন, কন্যা, সে সেই সব নারীর প্রতিচ্ছবি যারা যুদ্ধ করে জয়ই

সে পূর্ণিমার আলো, আগুনের বিস্ফোরণ।  

সে অসীম নারী, জীবন দাত্রী প্রতিটি যন্ত্রণাকে যে অস্বীকার করে এবং অন্ধকার থেকে… পুনর্জীবিত হয়!

 

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 interweave 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.

 

Translated in Bangla by Tasneem Hossain

 নারী 

নারী, যারা একটি অনিশ্চিত এবং ঝুলন্ত বিশ্ব কে আগলে রাখে

নারী, যাদের বাহু নিচু করলে আকাশ ভেঙ্গে পড়বে

তুমি কি তাদের দেখতে পাও? তারা উত্তুরে বাতাস দ্বারা পিষ্ট সাদা পাহাড়ের মতো শক্তিশালী

 

তুমি কি তাদের শুনতে পাও? প্রায়ই তারা অন্ধকারে গান গায়, কিন্তু তারা উন্মাদ নয়; তারা সাহস কে আহ্বান করে ভয় কে বিতাড়িত করতে । এবং রাতে, তারা একটি প্রজাপতি ভবিষ্যতের স্বপ্ন দেখে যা তারা তাদের সকালের নাস্তায় রুটির সাথে ছড়িয়ে দেয়, তাদের সন্তানদের প্রতি ভালোবাসা বিলিয়ে দেয়।

 

তারা শক্তিশালী কারণ তাদের অন্য কোন বিকল্প নেই। তবে তাদের উষ্ণ আলিঙ্গন, সময় এবং কোমলতা

প্রয়োজন, অন্ধকারে নাচতে থাকা সহিংসতার মোকাবিলা করার জন্য। 

রাতের নিস্তব্ধতায় তারা চোখের জল শুকায়, স্বপ্ন জড়ো করে, এবং সঞ্চয় করে ছোট ঝলক একটি ভোরকে আলোকিত করার জন্য যা এখনও আসেনি।

 

তাদের হাত সাহস, শক্তি এবং ভঙ্গুরতার সুতোগুলিকে বুনুন করে জড়িয়ে রাখে

একটি অদৃশ্য বস্ত্রের মত যা তাদের আত্মাকে চারপাশে ধেকে আস্রয় দেয়।  

পৃথিবী যেমন বাতাসের করুণায় চলে, নারীরা অবিচল থাকে এবং

ঝড়ের মাঝে দীপ্তির মতো আলো ছড়িয়ে দিতে থাকে। 

এক, কেউই নয়, এক লক্ষ মহিলা হাঁটছে তাদের গন্তব্যস্থলে মৃদু এবং নিরলসভাবে, 

তারা জ্বলজ্বল করছে, কারণ তারা ভালবাসার ছদ্মবেশে সহিংসতা কে নিন্দা জানাচ্ছে

তারা সবকিছু সত্ত্বেও আলকিত পথ বেছে নিয়েছে।

Ada Rizzo 

was born in Sicily (Italy) 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. She has been involved for about 20 years and currently engages in humanitarian projects and volunteering in Kenya."

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, he published "Ventiquattro Carati," which addresses the issue of gender violence; a work that was awarded the International Literary Art Prize La Via dei Libri, the International Lord Byron Prize 2024, the International Literary Art Prize - to say no to violence against women - Il Canto di Dafne 2024, and the National Argentario Prize 2024 & Caravaggio.

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.

She will participe as a co-author in the International Cultural Project ComPar Poesia 2025, which involves 350 women writers from 5 continents to give voice to women and celebrate their artistic and cultural contribution to the world. 

Currently, she holds the position of "Chief Communications Officer, Italy" for the Global Literary Event: Panorama International Literature Festival 2025.

Her poems on gender-based violence, “A Light in the Darkness” and “Women,” have been translated into English, Spanish, Arabic, and Bengali, and included in various literary journals and international poetry anthologies, such as “Alessandria Today”, “Atunis Galaxy Poetry,” “Life,” “Contemporary Italian Poetry,” “Our Poetry Archive,” “European Poetry,” “Sindh Courier,” “Saubarna,” “Whispers across Languages,” “Raven Cage,” and the “USA Humanist Anthology.” In America, she was honored with the “International Literature Language Journal” recognition.

Life has taken her everywhere, Love has brought her home. 

 

Brief Bio of Tasneem Hossain.

Tasneem Hossain, majoring in English Language and Literature, is a multi-lingual poet from

Bangladesh. She writes poems in English, Urdu and Bengali. She is also a columnist, fiction and op-ed writer, translator, educator, and trainer.

 

Her impactful writings appear frequently in esteemed publications worldwide like: Human Rights Art Movement, Wordsmith International Editorial, Southern Arizona Press, MockingOwl Roost, Setu, Pen magazine, Valiant Scribe, Prodigy Magazine (USA), Borderless Journal (Singapore), Discover Mississauga and More-eBook, (Canada), Dark Thirty Poetry Publishing, Krishnochura (UK), Polis Magazino, Homo Universal (Greece), Borderless Journal (Singapore) Worvid and Homagi International Magazines (Indonesia), INNSÆI Journal, Cultural Reverence, MicroPoetry Cosmos, The Fatehpur Resolution, Raft of Dreams, PuspoPravat (India), Sindh Courier (Pakistan), Orfeu.al (Kosovo), Alessandria Today (Italy), Atunis Galaxy Poetry (Belgium), Gazeta Destinacioni (Albania), Life (Abu Dhabi), Barcelona-Adabia (Spain), CTHOTEM Revista Cultural (Argentina), Raven Cage, Raseef 81(Germany), Antiquities and Classique (Algiria), Friendship of People N92024 EDAS Chronicle, The Dhaka Literature, An Ekushey Anthology, Pencraft International, Kavya Kishore, The Global Nation, bdnews24.com, The Daily Star, The Business Standard, Asian Age Online, Daily Observer (Bangladesh).

 

Her poems have been translated in eight languages; and published in 30 countries in literary journals worldwide. She has been interviewed on several literary platforms and won awards for her literary contributions to world literature. 

 

Several of her articles and poems are utilised as teaching material in universities and academies across various countries; some have been referenced in university research papers.

 

She is an author of three poetry books: ‘Grass in Green,’ ’The Pearl Necklace,’ ‘Floating Feathers’ and a book of articles ‘Split and Splice’. Four more books are currently in progress.

 

As an op-ed writer, she has written more than 130 articles. 

 

She runs an international poetry writing project and group named Life in Lyrics. She is a member of World Writers’ Union and recognized as World’s Contemporary Writers 2024 in a couple of anthologies.  

 

Poetry, to her, is music through words; an ever-flowing river reflecting all that surrounds us.

As an author, she tries to spread message of love, hope, mercy; and tries to create an awareness of social responsibilities and human rights.

 

She served as a faculty member of Business English at Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology. Currently, she is the director of the prominent human resource development

organization, Continuing Education Centre (Bangladesh), and Cansaz Services and Distribution LLC (Canada). With 27 years of experience, she is a highly regarded Business English language and Communication Management trainer.

 

She actively participates in sports whenever the opportunity arises. During her university days she started to work for radio Bangladesh as a newscaster, commentary reader, interviewer and radio presenter and continued there for 10 years. She has also directed plays, including Shakespeare’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’.