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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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In memory of Mata-Hari

I would have loved to have the time and the energy to write a little tribute to Mata-Hari yesterday, on her death's anniversary, but I was exhausted. More than a decade ago, when I was a poor PhD student, I wrote a short article in French about Mata-Hari for a cultural and educational project. I have always been more interested in artists from the past than present-day artists (there are very few real artists, nowadays) and I have a soft spot for the Belle Époque and the entr

Semper vivit Amor / Love lives Forever

Handsome and Timeless You looked like a Russian Pianist and Composer From the early 20th Century On the black-and-white portraits I saw of You, Dear Uncle Green Eyes like our Sea Kind and Rebel Gentleman You died Young and Childless And your Wife never forgot You Always cherishing your Memory Eleven Years of Happiness She treasured every Second And She lived a very Long Life For You both, because She loved You As much as You loved Her, and... Semper vivit Amor Love lives Fore

Free from Four-Letter Word

A pile of corrections (student papers from four different classes) done this afternoon, after a walk in my beloved Park, a vegan ice-cream and an exhibition discovered on my way towards the Irish Cultural Centre. It was a very exhausting week and I am glad to be free from four-letter word. I hope my students will enjoy their weekend too, despite of the spite from the Government. Short article and photograph below by me. Vera da Pozzo Paris, 9th October 2026 (C) Vera da Pozzo

I keep You in Mind

My Dearest Friend I keep You in Mind As the Young Blackbird Rescued from Ravens Held in my Small Hands The Biggest Treasure Because You're Nature And Good is What You bring For Art is an Eternal Spring. To YOU Vera da Pozzo Paris, 8th/9th October 2026 Poem above by me, from an idea I had early on Thursday morning. Photo below by me, taken in my dearest Parisian park today. (C) Vera da Pozzo (C) Italy is Mine (C) Italy is Mine and It owes Me a Living #IkeepYouinMind #Mind #gen

Live and Be

Come here Without fear There is nothing to Prove to nobody Don't impress Just express And never crave For attention Don't you see? Live and be For nothing else Matter to me Vera da Pozzo Paris, 4th October 2026 I could not help writing something today: the incipit of this poem popped into my head when I woke up, as a ray of light in the haze of the cold I have caught; and, when the Inspiration calls, all I can do is to write. Poem and short article above by me, as the picture

Promenade with a Friend

Gizmo is always happy when he see me and I cuddled him. I chatted with his human friend, a nice lady who asked me news about the blocus and then we talked a bit about the situation in France and in Italy, until I received a call from my dear friend M. from Bordeaux. I do not spend a lot of time on the phone, but I do enjoy a long chat with a good friend from time to time. M. is vegan and I met her and her husband in Dublin three years ago, at Morrissey's concert. Even if we d

Your Light never goes out

On my way back to Paris by train, my throat and my nostrils dry and hurt by toxic smoke of the fires lit this morning by the bastards casseurs outside Alcatraz, how comforting was to watch some videos of Morrissey's concert in Lowell on YouTube. Thanks to the person who posted them and thank you, Morrissey, for being real and true to yourself and to us. Silver Boy, your Light never goes out! Enjoy a lovely break before the second leg of your US tour, in two weeks. To YOU Vera

Standing firm, and More messages to cheer me up

Standing firm A Hard Day's Night But it's all right Far from the Fight Mr. Shankly Standing blankly Is so frankly Unanointed Disappointed And Disjointed For I resist And rise my Fist And still persist Vera da Pozzo Paris , 23rd September 2026 Poem above and photo below by me. Beauté en banlieue. Even in the ugliest places I can find Beauty, like this shiny Moon at 8 P. M. When I was finally back to Paris, I felt I would have found more messages to cheer me up, so I had a look

You'll never walk Alone

Photo taken by me near Hell's Gates, far from Paris. I am the only human being who has noticed how the tree behind the gates and the magnolia outside want so bad to reach for each other. Vera da Pozzo Paris, 22nd September 2026 (C) Vera da Pozzo (C) Italy is Mine (C) Italy is Mine and It owes Me a Living #youllneverwalkalone #trees #friends #trees #friendship #nature #photography #toYOU #VeradaPozzo #ItalyisMine #ItalyisMine #italyismineanditowesmealiving

Good Morning to You

May your Day be Happy as a Jaybird May the Rainbow find its way Through the Clouds and the Rain And colour your Morning so far away To YOU Vera da Pozzo Paris, 19th September 2026 Short poem above and photo below by me. A new start. (C) Vera da Pozzo (C) Italy is Mine (C) Italy is Mine and It owes Me a Living #GoodMorningtoYou #LovelyDay #Rain #Rainbow #flowers #happyasajaybird #faraway #friendship #message #poetry #photography #toYOU #VeradaPozzo #ItalyisMine #italyismineand

Good Afternoon to You

Whatever happens, my Friend, I'll always think of you kindly. To YOU Vera da Pozzo So far, yet so near 18th September 2026, 22:22 Micro-poem above, added article [update] and photos are all by me, as usual. Below, picture taken this afternoon: one of my favourite spots in my dear Parisian park. [Update on the same day - evening in Paris, France - afternoon in Chicago, Illinois] So, just after posting my message, I took a look at Morrissey Central and I found this post. I do l

Like a Dove

My Love Is like A Dove: Pure and At ease In the Sky But so Shy On the Ground Vera da Pozzo Paris 12th September 2026 Short poem above and photo below by me. Picture taken today after a very long, happy promenade in my beloved Parisian park. (C) Vera da Pozzo (C) Italy is Mine (C) Italy is Mine and It owes Me a Living #LikeaDove #dove #love #nature #poetry #photography #VeradaPozzo #ItalyisMine #italyismineanditowesmealiving

Message from a Friend

Strolling in my Park The Yellow Dahlia has A Message from a Friend And the Message says: "Embrace your Inner Light And keep refusing to Fight" Vera da Pozzo Paris, 12th September 2026 Short poem above and photo below by me, as usual. Picture taken yesterday afternoon in my dearest Parisian Park. (C) Vera da Pozzo (C) Italy is Mine (C) Italy is Mine and It owes Me a Living #MessagefromaFriend #flowers #dahlia #photography #nature #message

I stand firm

I was walking in my Park Surrounded by the Trees When I felt your Presence Running through my Legs Up to my Arms and Shoulders As Shivers of Joy and Delight Just like the Pure Pleasure that The Fresh Breeze and the Warm Sun Give Me on a Late Summer Saturday You are Nature, my Friend; and so am I And the Brave Sequoia which stands Tall As a Link between the Earth and the Sky Reminds Me of your Precious Words Whatever the Hell happens in my Life I stand Firm, Proud and True to

Your Messenger

A Tiring and Tedious Day ends A Solitary Gull greets Me His elegant Wings shine While He dances in the Sky And I feel Your Loving Presence As a Powerful Protection Vera da Pozzo 9.9.2026 Poem above by me. [Update - 14th September 2026] Photo below taken by me in Dublin in 2025, the day before Morrissey's concert at the 3 Arena. I took this picture at Merrion Square, after having visited Oscar Wilde's house. Even if the Irish seagull is just meditating in the shade and not fly

My Promise

Please, be patient, my Dearest Friend: I did not forget the Promise I made And despite all the Worries I've had And still have, I will keep It, for I care. To YOU Vera da Pozzo Paris, 1st September 2026 Short poem-message above and pictures below by me, of course. Detail and whole photo taken today. (C) Vera da Pozzo (C) Italy is Mine (C) Italy is Mine and It owes Me a Living #MyPromise #toYOU #promise #message #friendship #poem #poetry #photography #Paris #VeradaPozzo #Italy

The Unwanted One

You were the Unwanted One A difficult child who became An Unaccomplished Woman With a Distant Mother A quite Vulgar Husband And an Adopted Daughter You always leaned on Your Devoted Brother Who did his best to replace Your Late, Regretted Father He always held his Pain hidden While You became Ego-ridden Always needing a stage and a crowd You spoke and You laughed too loud An absolute Stranger to Me in Life When You died You forgot the Knife Stuck on my Back for What You did T

Thunderstorm

I am waiting since this Morning Watching how the Lightning Strikes Are ripping up the Doomy Skies Thunders' roars are approaching They urge the Rain to fight Fate But the Sleeping Rain is late I've been waiting all Day long For the Thunderstorm to boom Now the Rain drowns the Doom I can sing my unsung Song Let my Message unfold To the One I do behold Vera da Pozzo Somewhere in the North of Italy 20th August 2026 Poem above and pictures below by me, of course. (C) Vera da Pozz

Speranza, Isola and Oscar

I have just retrieved a 2019 article about the finding of rare pictures of "Speranza", Jane Francesca Agnes Elgee Wilde (1821-1896) and two of her children: her only daughter Isola Francesca Emily (1857-1867), who died few weeks before her tenth birthday, and her second and most famous son Oscar. Below: the photographs mentioned in the 2019 article linked above. Two literary projects I had to shelve - the first one in 2016, the second one in 2023 - crave for my attention, and

Sixteen Months

Sixteen Months is a long Time Longer than Eternity And the Distance is so far Huger than Infinity Like a Black Hole in my Dreams I cannot see your Shadow I cannot hear your Echo I have no Consolation To the Unique and Irreplaceable One Vera da Pozzo 17th August A. D. MMXXVI 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 #SixteenMonths #poem #poetry #photography #memory #totheUniqueandIrrepleacebleOne #VeradaPozz

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