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Italy is mine

... and it owes me a living

Art and Nature, music and literature, animal and human rights, freedom of thought and speech, kindness, culture and education without boundaries.

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Vera da Pozzo, an Italian expat in Paris.

From the Island of the Sun to the Isle of France.

My pseudonym Vera da Pozzo is a pun alluding to what I care about most : truth and loyalty, depth and insight. In my mother tongue, the syntagma "vera da pozzo" means a puteal, but it could be a female name followed by a family name. Water is indispensable for living, and we need to keep it pure and unpolluted; it is the same for truth.
I write in English because I love this language since my childhood and also because English allows me to have a more detached view on both Italy and France. The title of my personal website and blog is a paraphrasis of the verse "England is mine and it owes me a living", from Morrissey's song "Still Ill", released in The Smiths debut album "The Smiths" on 20th February 1984. As Italy had nothing to offer to young people like me, I decided to throw my arms around Paris, as Oscar Wilde did, and I am still here. Like francophone actor Lino Ventura, I am and I will always be Italian.

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Do You hear Me? (Poem for a Friend)

I am so Far, Yet so Near: Do You hear My Soft Voice Whispering In your Ear? My Dear Friend, Please don't mind: There's no End And You're Fine. To YOU Vera da Pozzo Paris, 7th November 2026, 1:30 A.M. Saturday Morning. Neighbours loudly quarrelling for no reason: as I could not sleep (I hate in general people talking loud, quarreling and screaming, and I hate it even more when it happens in the night time) I took my phone and wrote this poem for a friend... ... and when I fini

Empathy for an Insect

Yesterday Alcatraz was very calm because of the strike ("la grève, ce luxe bourgeois", as I often say, and I hope I will have the time to explain why in the next weeks) but during the last hour two girls were scared by an insect on their table: I told the girls to calm down, because there was no danger at all (99% of bugs are not harmful and they fear humans) and that they just should move to another table, while I would guide the insect outside through the window. I helped t

Ladybird Willpower has a Message for You

Sing and Shine tonight in El Paso, Fantastic Bird! Your Light never goes out. Be happy! :) To YOU Vera da Pozzo Photographs below taken by me today: a lovely Ladybird (Willpower) climbing very fast my dear Sophora Japonica. This lovely, tiny Creature wishes Morrissey a successful show tonight. :) Maybe the seven-spotted Ladybird thought I was a giant spotless Ladybird... Who knows? :) Below: a little drawing made by me for tonight's Morrissey's show in El Paso: Begonias, gre

Guy Fawkes was a Genius

In 1605 Europe, men had stylish moustache, wore ridiculous hats and made war instead of love; except for the ridiculous hats, nothing has really changed since then. In England, seven men tried to stop the persecution of Catholics by King James I, but they failed and they were brutally executed. The most famous among them is Guy Fawkes, and today I drew this homage in my diary. Below: details and the whole drawing made by me without any preparatory sketch. The portrait of Guy

Silver Boy, You made my Day

[I wrote the article below yesterday night, but I was so exhausted that I fell asleep and my article slept in the drafts; this morning, still in bed, I have read the draft and I have added more photographs before posting it.] 5th November 2026 Late lunchtime (2:15 P. M. is very late, for my standards), after enduring six long hours in Alcatraz. 99% of the students are nice, 80% are quiet, and those who try to bother me are the puppets of the Spineless Bastards who manipulate

A City Freeze

It is already Winter in France - not just in Paris and its Region, but even in the South-West, as my Friend M. from Bordeaux told me yesterday, during a nice talk via SMS we had during our travel back home. Every time temperatures lower, this moving and beautiful song by Nick Drake (may he rest in peace in a quiet corner in Heaven) pops up in my head and I start to sing it with Nick's sweet voice in mind. At the Chime of a City Clock A city freeze Get on your knees Pray for w

In memory of Laika

Stray Dog, Beautiful Soul, They sent You in the Space For stupid Vanity and Power What did They want to prove? Nothing is Worth Someone's Life To Laika, Martyr (1954 - 1957) Vera da Pozzo Paris, 3rd November 2026 Short poem by me. Photo below found on the Web. (C) Vera da Pozzo (C) Italy is Mine (C) Italy is Mine and It owes Me a Living #inmemoryofLaika #Laika #martyr #dog #space #memory #animalrights #poem #poetry #VeradaPozzo #ItalyisMine #italyismineanditowesmealiving

Yesterday in Paris - RTÉ 100: an interesting conference and Arena Live Broadcast

Photo reportage below by me. No time to write about this interesting event now. To be continued... hopefully, this weekend. Vera da Pozzo Paris, 3rd November 2026 [Little update: the broadcast is here.] Above: before the conference/conversation with Clíodhna Ní Anluain, author of the book Sounding Ireland. Radio and the Making of Us. Below: entracte. I always find something weird to photograph. Below: Rté Arena live broadcast, with good musicians, interesting people and stori

To Our Beloved Departed

Mute Prayer. Photographs by me. Vera da Pozzo St Patrick's Chapel, Irish Cultural Centre, Paris, 2nd November A. D. MMXXVI (C) Vera da Pozzo (C) Italy is Mine (C) Italy is Mine and It owes Me a Living #toOue

Rebelote ! / Here we go again!

At least, this day which starts very early will end by something interesting. Vera da Pozzo On a train, heading to the Parisian Parisian Banlieue, 2nd November 2026 Update: going to the bus station near the Gare de ... (one of the dirtiest places I know, where the cleaning service represents the 21st century version of the myth of Sysyphus, I had a lovely surprise: a couple of ducks flying and quacking just over my head. The only beautiful sight, here, are gulls and pigeons.

Pier Paolo, Fascists turned your Life off, but they will never turn your Light off

In memory of Pier Paolo Pasolini, on the 51st anniversary of his murder. How I wish I had a time machine in order to meet him! Pier Paolo, Fascists turned your Life off, but they will never turn your Light off, because Poets never die. Pasolini è vivo! Viva Pasolini! Vera da Pozzo Paris, 2nd November 2026 Image below found via Google. (C) Vera da Pozzo (C) Italy is Mine (C) Italy is Mine and It owes Me a Living #PierPaoloPasolini #Pasolini #FasciststurnedoffyourLifebuttheywil

Too Early for Paris, On Time for Houston

My brain woke me up too early for Paris, but exactly on time for Morrissey's concert in Houston - oh, if only I was there! I waited for a little while before turning my phone on and I am still in bed, because it is still too early for getting up and going to Alcatraz. I am not on WhatsApp and I do not want to install Tchap neither: how can the Ministery say that this app is safe, if our digital workplace (the espace numérique de travail) and even our professional mailbox have

Tomorrow in Paris

Live broadcast in Paris from the Irish Cultural Centre - RTÉ Arena. Vera da Pozzo Paris, 1st November 2026 (C) Vera da Pozzo (C) Italy is Mine (C) Italy is Mine and It owes Me a Living #TomorrowinParis #IrishCulturalCentre #CentreCulturelIrlandais #Conference #LiveBroadcast #Rté #Radio1 #Rté100 #Arena #VeradaPozzo #ItalyisMine #italyismineanditowesmealiving

Spread your Wings in Houston, Bluebird of Happiness

Fantastic Bird, Sing and Shine in Houston! Art is an Eternal Spring. True to YOU, Vera da Pozzo Paris, 1st November 2026 (a cold, but lovely, sunny day) My beloved Sophora Japonica and a tiny little friend, in my favourite Parisian park. Message and photographs above by me. (C) Vera da Pozzo (C) Italy is Mine (C) Italy is Mine and It owes Me a Living #SpreadyourWingsinHoustonBluebirdofHappiness #message #SpreadyourWings #BluebirdofHappiness #FantasticBird #SingandShine #Morri

Jumpscare for Halloween

I am still on this bloody train, the dog is sleeping but I can't, because of the lights hurting my eyes. I have a look at Morrissey Central, I click the link without noticing that it is an IG content... and I end up on one of the cringiest thing I have ever seen: Michael Jackson with Morrissey. As I am not on IG, I cannot hear this content and I am quite glad I can't: I was the only child in primary and middle school who did not like Michael Jackson - in fact, I did not like

I (not so soon) returned to Paris

Well, not too soon, and even 55 minutes later than the scheduled time, thanks to the French lady who, just before arriving in Turin, started vomiting some awful pasta alla bolognese, smoked cheese and other cruelty-made food she provably had for lunch in a disgusting touristic trattoria in Milan (the Capital of Robbery) and did not want to leave the train when we stopped at an unplanned station, where an ambulance was already waiting for her. She was not old (around 60 years

Happy Halloween

Yesterday I found on YouTube the new fan made video by Morrissey Unofficial Videos and few minutes later it was on Morrissey Central. Today, while travelling from Somewhere in the North of Italy to Milan, I checked the gallery in my smartphone and I found the photo of the Halloween-themed drawing I made on my previous diary, one year ago; it is a little divertissement with Morrissey as Dracula and quotes from two of his songs: a bit of the refrain from the classic Jack the R

Good Good Morning

The Sun wishes Me A Good Good Morning: It's another Sunny Day But I have to leave Today Vera da Pozzo On the rails, Somewhere in the North of Italy 31st October 2026 Short poem above and photo below by me #GoodGoodMorning #sunnyday #sun #poem #poetry #VeradaPozzo #ItalyisMine #italyismineanditowesmealiving

A Gift from Above

A Gift from Above: A Bit of Sweetness Above the Thorns is A Sign of Your Love To the Unique and Irreplaceable One and the Most Beloved and the Most Regretted Vera da Pozzo Somewhere in the North of Italy 31st October 2026 Short poem above and photo below by me. (C) Vera da Pozzo (C) Italy is Mine (C) Italy is Mine and It owes Me a Living #aGiftfromAbove #abitofsweetness #aSignofLove #flower #thorns #cactus #totheUniqueandIrreplaceableone #totheMostBelovedandtheMostRegretted #

Walking on a Golden Carpet

The Trees leave A Carpet of Leaves Autumn Gold Can't be sold For it's a Joy To behold If You are A Pure Soul Vera da Pozzo Somewhere in the North of Italy 30th October 2026 Poem above and photographs below by me. (C) Vera da Pozzo (C) Italy is Mine (C) Italy is Mine and It owes Me a Living #WalkingonaGoldenCarpet #GoldenCarpet #trees #leaves #autumn #nature #poem #poetry #photography #VeradaPozzo #ItalyisMine #italyismineanditowesmealiving

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