SPOLVERASI

presents

About this war, about any

Today I saw a photo of a father holding his thirteen-year-old son’s hand. The boy was dead. A Russian attack, I understand: they had blown up a bus.

A couple lost their lives, and the boy. The father sat on the road holding his son’s hand, for hours.

Meanwhile, the world continues to be focused on the usual futility. I do not ask the world to mourn. I ask, however, for the gentleness of attention. Not on the war, but on every single daily gesture. I ask for a second more of silence before speaking, for the caution to choose gestures with care (not in war, in ‘politics’, but in every little thing).

Do not offend, forgive, apologise, say “can I come in?”. Allow yourself also to come in, shout at the top of your voice and admit that you do not agree. Just choose. Be present, open your eyes.

Happiness is not a fault, but freedom is a privilege of chance.

***

Oggi ho visto la foto di un padre che stringeva la mano al figlio di tredici anni. Il ragazzo era morto. Un attacco russo, a quanto ho capito: hanno fatto esplodere un bus.

Ha perso la vita una coppia di coniugi, e il ragazzo. Il padre è stato seduto sulla strada a tenere la mano al figlio, per ore.

Intanto, il mondo continua a concentrarsi sulle solite futili cose. Non chiedo al mondo di piangere. Chiedo, tuttavia, la delicatezza dell’attenzione. Non alla guerra, ma ad ogni singolo gesto quotidiano. Chiedo un secondo in più di silenzio prima di parlare, L’accortezza di scegliere i gesti con cura (non nella guerra, nella “politica”, ma in ogni piccola cosa).

Non offendere, perdona, chiedi scusa, dì: “è permesso?”. Permettiti anche di entrare, gridare a squarciagola e ammettere che non ci stai. Solo scegli. Sii presente, apri gli occhi.

La felicità non è una colpa, ma la libertà è un privilegio del caso.

Su questa guerra, su qualsiasi

A step does not demand shoe

A step does not demand a shoe –
for self – in moving on,
but ’tis a harder enterprise,
once on, to take it off.

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