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Chiara Salomoni’s poems were published in Acumen, in Poetry Salzburg Review, in the PRS Review, in New Humanist and in Orbis. Her translation of a poem by Andrea Zanzotto was published in Poem. Her translations of a poem by Corrado Govoni were published in The Rialto and in New Humanist respectively.
Nonna Ida’s bag was in the cattleshed
for forty years, her beloved photos inside.
Paper perfect, colour intact
as if recently printed by a photographer.
Love is a strong thread
Photos of my parents’ wedding in the church,
my mother smiling under her veil.
My father standing in his uniform.
My father’s cousin, the embroiderer, laughing.
Love is a strong thread
One of my aunts flirting with a local bloke.
My cousin’s confirmation with her parents;
two other cousins shyly playing,
a view of sweet hills behind them.
Love is a strong thread
Nonna Ida wore black after nonno’s death,
and put her long hair up. But life went on.
Her big hands held her infant nephew
when his own mother suddenly died.
Love is a strong thread
Nonna Ida baked chestnut cakes for everyone,
told tales and folk stories, fought her battle
for her family safety during the war
when her Appennino was occupied.
Love is an endless thread
Nonna Ida longed to see me when I was born,
the only grandchild she never met.
Ida, from old High German, ‘woman warrior’,
the woman I would like to be.
Poem published on
The Blue Nib Digital Platform, May 2020;
also at poetry p f, 2021
Note:
Publications:
The High Window, Italian 3, 2021, includes a number of Chiara’s translations of poems by Andrea Zanzotto
Chiara Salomoni at poetry p f
Chiara Salomoni at The Society of Authors
Copyright© of all poems featured on this site remains with the poet
