MARIA MIRAGLIA

 

 

Puppets

 

Sitting on the stone of time

I let the hours go by

crystallising the moment

not to be guided

by the winds

like a dead leaf

but to look beyond

I told the heart to shut up

and turned on the light

of the mind

 

A brushstroke of grey

turned off the bright colours

of day and night

erased from the sky

shades of pink

the nuances of gold and blue

reclined the flowers' corollas

in the fields

as if united by the same pain

and the cries of the birds

in the skies

weren't joyful

 

Puppets, the passers-by

moved by invisible hands

bizarre and stiff, the grimaces,

painted in bright colours

on their stiff wooden faces

in a strange contrast with their legs

in constant motion

in an attempt to touch the ground

under the feet

 

How sad a sight

I said to myself

while feeling the desire to go back

and open my eyes to the sunlight

that so much dazzles

and so much hides

@ Maria Miraglia

 

Only You

 

Distracted by the rain

beating on the rooftops

singing strange melodies

or by the sun

flooding the wheat fields

with its golden rays

by the birds

chirping among

the bright foliage

of the olive trees

only you

enchanted

by the babbling

of the foaming streams

never noticed

time passing

nor did you catch

its reflection in the mirror

so busy were you

doing this

and that

 

Now,

the photographs of the past

tell you

of the years

that quietly flowed by

unaware

back then

that it was life

you were letting slip away

 

The sun warmed the countryside

the rain cooled the air

thunder and lightning announced

another winter

one day fading

another beginning

Now

as wrinkles

trace your face

your thoughts return

to that woman

always absorbed

in so many things

and you ask yourself

whether that was

the happiest way

to spend

the precious gift of time

 

MARIA MIRAGLIA

 

 

MARIA MIRAGLIA is an Italian poet, writer, and advocate of the universal values of peace, dialogue, and human dignity. Her poetry is distinguished by its lyrical intensity, spiritual depth, and contemplative vision, weaving together themes of nature, love, silence, memory, justice, and hope. Her literary work has appeared in numerous international anthologies, magazines, and cultural publications and has been translated into several languages. She has received international literary awards in recognition of the artistic quality of her work and its commitment to promoting peace, compassion, and intercultural dialogue. Maria Miraglia is a member of the International Collective of Poets for Peace and of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts, where she belongs to Class III – Humanities (Literature and Arts). These affiliations reflect her dedication to fostering cultural exchange and the universal values of peace through literature. She has been invited to participate in international poetry festivals and literary events around the world. In September 2026, she will be a guest at a world poetry to represent Italy alongside poets from many countries. Believing that poetry transcends borders, cultures, and languages, Maria Miraglia writes to inspire empathy, understanding, and coexistence among people. Through a voice that is both intimate and universal, she affirms poetry as a bridge between hearts and cultures, and as a lasting force for hope, dialogue, and peace.