Pasqua
Suonano le campane a festa…
Din don, din don!
È una domenica di primavera:
la natura si risveglia,
i prati sono in fiore.
È il giorno che annuncia l’amore,
la speranza,
l’amicizia in ogni cuore.
Abbracciamoci, fratelli,
sorridiamo agli alberi,
ai prati,
al sole.
Dio ci protegge da lassù:
è il giorno in cui risorge Gesù.
Zaira Sellerio
Easter
The bells are ringing…
Ding dong, ding dong!
It’s a spring Sunday:
nature awakens,
the meadows are in bloom.
It is the day that announces love,
hope,
friendship in every heart.
Let us embrace, brothers,
smile at the trees,
at the meadows,
at the sun.
God protects us from up there:
is the day when Jesus rises again.
Zaira Sellerio
Review
The poem “Easter” by Zaira Sellerio is a delicate hymn to rebirth, fraternity and the light of faith. In a few verses, the author manages to capture the spiritual and natural essence of this feast: the arrival of spring, the awakening of nature, and the profound meaning of Jesus’ resurrection.
The rhythm, marked by the sound of bells – ‘Ding dong, ding dong!’ – creates a joyful and welcoming atmosphere, introducing with simplicity and purity the central theme: Easter as a time of hope, love and sharing.
The poem is distinguished by its genuine tone, almost childlike in the wonder it expresses, but profound in its spirituality. The lines ‘let us embrace, brothers, / smile at the trees, / at the meadows, / at the sun’ are an invitation to communion with creation and with others, in a universal embrace that transcends the simple gesture.
Finally, the last verse, “it is the day when Jesus rises again”, seals the poem with the solemnity of the Easter mystery, bringing the reader back to the heart of the Christian message.
A simple but intense poem, capable of speaking to the hearts of young and old alike, with the sweetness of a prayer and the freshness of a spring day.
Easter between spirituality and popular customs
Some recognitions for her works
- National Poetry Award “Arturo Massimi” in October 1999 in Mentana – Rome.
- Plaque for the Narrative Award at the International Competition “Pelosa” in Messina, November 2000.
- Poetry Plaque in October 2000 awarded by the Province of Rome.
- International Competition “Antonio de Curtis” in Rome.
- Poets and Society Award, Swiss German Delegation (international competition, honorable mention).
- Unpublished Poetry Award, 5th Edition of the “Premio/l’attualità – Bartolucci”, finalist diploma, October 27, 2001.
- International Artistic-Literary Competition, Antonio de Curtis “Totò”, Rome, October 22, 2002.
- ALIAS (Academy of Italian-Australian Literature and Writers, in collaboration with C.R.A.S.E.S. in Palermo).
- International Literary Competition, 3rd Prize ex aequo for Poetry, October 10, 2003.
- First Poetry Prize at the Gallery “Il Salotto dell’Arte”, Rome, March 22, 2009.
- “Premio Una Vita per la Cultura”, Galleria Salotto dell’Arte, Rome.
- 2014 – IV International Literary Award Europe for the novel (Dal Profondo del Cuore) – May 11, 2014, Lugano.
- II Navarro Prize for the novel (Dal Profondo del Cuore), May 13, 2018, in Sambuca di Sicilia, Sicily.
- Special Award “Lilly Broggi – La Pergola Arte” for the novel (Dal Profondo del Cuore), Florence, October 27, 2018.
- V Prize for the novel (Dal Profondo del Cuore) at Versilia Club’s “Massa Città Fiabesca di Mare e di Marmo”, September 28, 2019.
- 1st International Prize dedicated to the feminine universe “Donne d’Amore” V. Barrett, Poetry Section (Sui Gradini di Piazza di Spagna).
- 1st Prize for the Literature – Novel category for the work (Il Coraggio è Femmina), Rome, May 22, 2023.
- Poetry Award “Ai Tuoi Piedi” in the city of Mercogliano (AV) for the poem (E là incontrai mia Madre), September 8, 2024.
