Untitled (Cosa dicono le vene)
By Stella N’Djoku - Switzerland, 1993-present
Beginning | Nature, Identity, Time
Cosa dicono le vene
fatte ad albero sui polsi e il pulsare
che ferma il respiro?
L’eternità è il nostro nominarsi
nei secoli
come una carezza
una promessa.
Glossary
|
Word
|
Definition
|
Possible Synonyms
|
|---|---|---|
| albero (n.) | plants with leaves and wooden trunks | tree, branch |
| carezza (n.) | a gentle action | touch, caress, stroke |
| che (pron.) | refers to something previously mentioned | that, which |
| come (prep.) | used to express similarity | like, similar to, as |
| cosa (pron.) | asking for information | what |
| dicono (v.) | from the verb dire, meaning to say | do they say, do they speak |
| e (conj.) | in addition to | and, as well as |
| è (v.) | from the verb essere, meaning to be | is, exists |
| fatte ad (v. + prep.) | from the verb fare, meaning to make | made like, built like, shaped like |
| ferma (v.) | from the verb fermare, meaning to stop | blocks, halts, hinders |
| il (art.) | denoting one or more people or things already mentioned or assumed to be common knowledge | the |
| l'eternità (art. + n.) | unending time | eternity, infinity |
| nei (prep.) | denoting location or position | in the, inside the, within the |
| nominarsi (v. + pron.) | from the verb nominare, meaning to call something by name, used when the subject and the object of the sentence are the same | naming ourselves, calling ourselves |
| nostro (possessive pron.) | belonging to the speaker plus one or more people | our |
| polsi (n.) | part of the body that connects hand to forearm | wrists |
| promessa (n.) | a declaration to do something | pledge, vow, promise |
| pulsare (v.) | to expand and contract with regular movements | throbbing, beating, thumping |
| respiro (n.) | taking air into the lungs | breathing, breath, inhalation |
| secoli (n.) | a period of one hundred years | centuries, eons, ages |
| sui (prep.) | denoting location or position | on the, upon the |
| una (art.) | used when referring to something for the first time | one, a |
| vene (n.) | part of the body where blood circulates | veins, arteries, vessels |
Bio
Stella N’Djoku is a poet, journalist, and teacher from Ticino, the Italian-speaking region of Switzerland. Her mother’s family comes from Italy and her father is from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. She studied philosophy, science, and theology. Her poems often talk about nature, grief, and identity. In her words, “poetry helps open you up to life.” *
*From an interview in the Swiss newspaper Corriere del Ticino: https://www.cdt.ch/prodotti/grazie-alla-poesia-c on-poche-parole-posso-esprimere-grandi-conce
tti-325285
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