Poem - In the Womb of Thunder, Poetess - Ada Rizzo (Italy)

In the Womb of Thunder
Ada Rizzo

In the womb of thunder
lies a little girl,
with eyes full of shattered sky
and hands clutching
a faceless doll.
She walks among walls that no longer speak,
where silence has learned to scream
and dust knows the names of dreams.
Each step is a question
without an answer.
Each breath,
a sigh lost in the wind.
She’s learned to count
not the stars,
but the cannon shots that fall like verdicts.
She’s learned to sleep
with her heart on alert,
like a bird dreaming of flight
but with bandaged wings.
And yet, in her gaze,
there’s still a spark that defies the abyss,
a caress, a poem that refuses to surrender,
unafraid to be born among the ruins.

©®Ada Rizzo



About the Poetess:
Ada Rizzo, writer, poet, freelance journalist, cultural promoter, Peace Ambassador, Counselor, and Mindfulness Facilitator, was born in Sicily (Italy) in 1960.

Her life is built on solid roots and traditional values. Optimistic, cheerful, curious, and creative, she is passionate about art and psychology. She loves cooking 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 Mindfulness Facilitator. She has been involved for about 20 years and is currently engaged in humanitarian projects and volunteer work in Kenya.

In 2021, she published her first novel, strongly autobiographical, titled “Did I Want Twelve-Centimeter Heels?”, which received an honorable mention at the Intercontinental Literary Award “Le Nove Muse.”

In 2022, she published her second novel “Iris Ali di Vetro”, winner of the National Poetry and Fiction Award Alda Merini 2024–2025, a book that addresses the delicate topic of eating disorders.

In 2023, she published her third novel “Ninety Beats Per Minute”, a true story dealing with the sensitive theme of heart transplantation, for which she received the Jury Prize at the International Literary Award Cygnus Aureus 2024.

In 2024, she published “Ventiquattro Carati”, addressing the theme of gender-based violence; a work awarded at the International Literary Art Prize “La Via dei Libri,” the International Lord Byron Prize 2024, the International Literary Art Prize “Il Canto di Dafne” 2024 (against violence against women), and the National Argentario & Caravaggio Prize 2024.

For the themes addressed in her books, the author has received numerous recognitions, including the “International Award for Peace and the Defense of Human Rights Italy 2023,” the “Civic Merit Award for Solidarity and Inclusion of People with Disabilities 2023,” the “Solidarity Award for Art and Civic Engagement 2024,” and the “International Recognition Outstanding Woman 2024” for her dedication to art, culture, women’s rights, peace, and social justice worldwide.

In 2024, she participated in an international cultural project for peace and the defense of human rights, from which the anthology “Art Without Borders” was created, a poetry collection bringing together 36 international poets and artists. Her poetic contribution “In the Silence of the World” is included in this anthology.

In December 2024, she received:

the “International Literature Language Journal” Award and the “Art and Literature Certificate 2024,” honors awarded in the United States for her cultural contribution to art and literature internationally;

the “Certificate of International Recognition – Letter of Peace” for her literary contribution to the international promotion of culture, human rights, and peace;

the “Best Influential Personality of 2024” Award.


In January 2025, she was awarded:

Diploma of Honor – International Forum for Creativity and Humanity;

International Award “Culture Without Borders 2025”;

Honorary Doctorate for humanitarian merits.


She currently holds the roles of:

Chief Communications Officer, Italy, and Delegate – Italy within the Global Literary Event: Panorama International Literature Festival 2025;

Honorary Consultant of “The Women’s Chair,” an international socio-educational-cultural project supported by the UN, promoting the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women;

Honorary Member and Europe-Africa Coordinator for RRM3 – Renaissance Millennium III;

Official Member of CIESART – International Chamber of Writers & Artists;

Peace Ambassador for Global Peace Let’s Talk;

Peace Ambassador for IFCH – International Forum for Creativity and Humanity, Kingdom of Morocco.

She has also been awarded:
the Juan Antonio Delgadillo Universal Poetry Prize as Global Poet 2025.


In October 2025, she will be awarded an Honorary Degree in Literature by the IAAL International Academy of Art and Literature, in collaboration with the Union Mondiale de Poètes pour la Paix et la Liberté and the Cultural Association L’Isola Felice.

She will participate as a co-author in the International Cultural Project ComPar Poetry 2025, involving 350 women authors from all five continents, aimed at giving voice to women and celebrating their artistic and cultural contributions worldwide.

Her poems on gender-based violence, such as “A Light in the Darkness” and “Women”, as well as others on peace and human rights, have been translated into English, Spanish, Arabic, Greek, Polish, and Bengali, and included in various international literary magazines and poetry anthologies, both print and digital.

The author also offers her contributions in translation and critical analysis of poems and books, bringing into Italian works by various international authors, including Shoshana Vegh, Tasneem Hossain, Rexhep Shahu, Kareem Abdullah, Serkan Engin, and Zainul Husain. She translated and commented on the epic poem “Devdoot The Angel” by poet Sudhakar Gaidhani, as well as the novel “The Great Warrior Klisania and Trifilia” by writer, poet, cultural promoter, and publisher Agron Shele.

Her translations contribute to fostering greater international literary dialogue.

The author has written prefaces and introductions for several prestigious international poetry anthologies. Rizzo is also a contributor to “Alessandria Today,” a national and international media platform focused on culture, art, news, poetry, events, politics, and the environment, with 150 collaborators and an audience of approximately 8,000,000 readers worldwide. Her articles mainly focus on cultural promotion, analysis of poetry and novels, and national and international art and culture, as well as topics of social interest.

She has a strong desire to further intensify her work in promoting poetic and literary talent.

At the same time, her commitment to defending human rights, peace, and women victims of violence will remain constant.

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