{"id":234954,"date":"2025-03-18T12:54:45","date_gmt":"2025-03-18T12:54:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swissfederalism.ch\/?p=234954"},"modified":"2026-03-13T13:41:15","modified_gmt":"2026-03-13T13:41:15","slug":"a-mio-padre-to-my-father","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swissfederalism.ch\/en\/a-mio-padre-to-my-father\/","title":{"rendered":"A mio Padre – To my Father"},"content":{"rendered":"

A mio Padre<\/span><\/h1>\n

E ti rivedo,
con le mani nodose,
i fili d’argento tra i capelli,
e le rughe profonde
che segnano il viso.<\/p>\n

E semini grano.
Con la schiena china,
spargi i chicchi dorati,
oro di vita.<\/p>\n

Ti chiedo:
“Semini un tesoro?”<\/strong>
Mi guardi e sorridi,
e con amore mi rispondi:<\/p>\n

“La cosa pi\u00f9 bella<\/strong>
che ho seminato in tutta la vita<\/strong>
sei tu, figliolo.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Onori tuo padre,<\/strong>
e se sbagli,<\/strong>
mi chiedi perdono.”<\/strong><\/p>\n

Zaira Sellerio<\/span><\/p>\n

To my Father<\/span><\/h1>\n

And I see you again,
\nwith your gnarled hands,
\nthe silver threads in your hair
\nand the deep wrinkles
\nthat mark your face.<\/p>\n

And you sow wheat.
\nWith your back bent,
\nyou scatter the golden grains,
\ngold of life.<\/p>\n

I ask you:
\n\u2018Do you seed a treasure?\u2019<\/strong>
\nYou look at me and smile,
\nand with love you answer me:<\/p>\n

\u2018The most beautiful thing<\/strong>
\nthat I have sown in all my life<\/strong>
\nis you, my son.<\/strong><\/p>\n

You honour your father,<\/strong>
\nand if you make a mistake,<\/strong>
\nyou ask my forgiveness.\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n

Zaira Sellerio<\/p>\n

\"Hand<\/a>
Hand caresses ears of wheat Image by Batatolis Panagiotis from Pixabay<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Review<\/span><\/h2>\n

This poem by Zaira Sellerio is a touching tribute to the father figure, described with simple but profound images that evoke wisdom, sacrifice and unconditional love. Through the image of the father sowing wheat, the author draws a parallel with the most precious gift a parent can offer: life itself, together with the growth and education of a child.<\/span><\/p>\n

The delicacy with which the bond between father and son is recounted makes these verses perfect for Father’s Day, a celebration that is not only about affection, but also about gratitude for the values transmitted over time. The tone is sweet and nostalgic, enriched by a moving closing that emphasises the sense of responsibility and forgiveness, fundamental pillars of the parental relationship.<\/span><\/p>\n

This poem is an invitation to reflect on the emotional legacy left by fathers, reminding us that the real treasure a man can sow is love for his children.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Italian-language book by Zaira Sellerio<\/strong>, Il coraggio \u00e8 femmina<\/em>, is now available on Amazon.<\/a><\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/a>Father’s Day<\/span><\/h2>\n

Father’s Day is celebrated on 19 March in many countries of Catholic tradition, as it coincides with the feast day of St Joseph, the putative father of Jesus and symbol of humility and family dedication. This holiday is a special occasion to express gratitude and affection towards fathers, recognising their fundamental role in the family and society.<\/span><\/p>\n

In Christian countries, the date of Father’s Day varies according to local traditions. In Switzerland, for example, the holiday is not celebrated on a single national date: in Catholic cantons, such as Canton Ticino or Canton Schwyz, it is celebrated on 19 March, while in other regions it may be celebrated on the first Sunday in June.<\/span><\/p>\n

In Spain, Portugal and Italy, the celebration of 19 March is closely linked to the figure of St Joseph and is often accompanied by religious and culinary traditions, such as the typical sweets prepared in his honour. In Anglo-Saxon countries and many nations of Protestant tradition, on the other hand, Father’s Day is celebrated on the third Sunday in June, a date chosen in the United States at the beginning of the 20th century and then spread to many other parts of the world.<\/span><\/p>\n

Regardless of the date, Father’s Day is a time to reflect on the importance of the father figure, an occasion to thank fathers for their love, commitment and the values they pass on to their children.<\/span><\/p>\n

La vittoria dell’aglio e della cipolla – The garlic and onion victory<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Some recognitions for her works<\/span><\/h2>\n
    \n
  • National Poetry Award\u00a0\u201cArturo Massimi\u201d<\/em>\u00a0in October 1999 in Mentana \u2013 Rome.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Plaque for the Narrative Award at the International Competition\u00a0\u201cPelosa\u201d<\/em>\u00a0in Messina, November 2000.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Poetry Plaque in October 2000 awarded by the Province of Rome.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • International Competition\u00a0\u201cAntonio de Curtis\u201d<\/em>\u00a0in Rome.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Poets and Society Award, Swiss German Delegation (international competition, honorable mention).<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Unpublished Poetry Award, 5th Edition of the\u00a0\u201cPremio\/l\u2019attualit\u00e0 \u2013 Bartolucci\u201d<\/em>, finalist diploma, October 27, 2001.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • International Artistic-Literary Competition,\u00a0Antonio de Curtis \u201cTot\u00f2\u201d<\/em>, Rome, October 22, 2002.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • ALIAS (Academy of Italian-Australian Literature and Writers, in collaboration with C.R.A.S.E.S. in Palermo).<\/span><\/li>\n
  • International Literary Competition, 3rd Prize ex aequo for Poetry, October 10, 2003.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • First Poetry Prize at the Gallery\u00a0\u201cIl Salotto dell\u2019Arte\u201d<\/em>, Rome, March 22, 2009.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • \u201cPremio Una Vita per la Cultura\u201d<\/em>,\u00a0Galleria Salotto dell\u2019Arte<\/em>, Rome.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • 2014 \u2013 IV International Literary Award Europe for the novel (Dal Profondo del Cuore<\/em>) \u2013 May 11, 2014, Lugano.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • II Navarro Prize for the novel (Dal Profondo del Cuore<\/em>), May 13, 2018, in Sambuca di Sicilia, Sicily.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Special Award\u00a0\u201cLilly Broggi \u2013 La Pergola Arte\u201d<\/em>\u00a0for the novel (Dal Profondo del Cuore<\/em>), Florence, October 27, 2018.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • V Prize for the novel (Dal Profondo del Cuore<\/em>) at Versilia Club\u2019s\u00a0\u201cMassa Citt\u00e0 Fiabesca di Mare e di Marmo\u201d<\/em>, September 28, 2019.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • 1st International Prize dedicated to the feminine universe\u00a0\u201cDonne d\u2019Amore\u201d V. Barrett<\/em>, Poetry Section (Sui Gradini di Piazza di Spagna<\/em>).<\/span><\/li>\n
  • 1st Prize for the Literature \u2013 Novel category for the work (Il Coraggio \u00e8 Femmina<\/em>), Rome, May 22, 2023.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Poetry Award\u00a0\u201cAi Tuoi Piedi\u201d<\/em>\u00a0in the city of Mercogliano (AV) for the poem (E l\u00e0 incontrai mia Madre<\/em>), September 8, 2024.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

     <\/p>\n

    \"K16<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Through the image of the father sowing wheat, the author draws a parallel with the most precious gift a parent can offer: life itself, along with the growth and education of a child.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":234947,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[390,260,2103,210,257,2463],"tags":[539,2283,1850,2471,2492,887,2468],"class_list":["post-234954","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-canton-aargau","category-highlights","category-italian-culture","category-magazine","category-switzerland","category-zairas-corner","tag-culture-en","tag-italian-language","tag-italians-abroad","tag-literary-work","tag-poem","tag-switzerland-en","tag-zaira-sellerio-en"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swissfederalism.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/234954","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/swissfederalism.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/swissfederalism.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swissfederalism.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swissfederalism.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=234954"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/swissfederalism.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/234954\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":236572,"href":"https:\/\/swissfederalism.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/234954\/revisions\/236572"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swissfederalism.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/234947"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swissfederalism.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=234954"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swissfederalism.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=234954"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swissfederalism.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=234954"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}