We’re thrilled to have another voice contributing to our Poetry Thursdays series this month, Italian writer Enrica Barberis, who studies journalism. Enrica is not new to writing, but has recently started exploring poetry. Today she’s sharing her process as well as some original poetry with you. Enjoy. xx

I’ve always loved reading, but writing is a passion I discovered only two years ago. I am Italian and being forced to read and write in my native language during my teenage years, I had very little time to dedicate to writing. I’ve never been a good writer, and as a matter of fact, my teachers in school were quite frustrated with my performances. However, I found out that my love for writing is closely tied to English. It is difficult to explain, but I just don’t like writing in my native language, it seems wrong. My yearning for English seems foolish, yet I can’t help but feel that it is my ‘artistic’ language.

I lived in the States during my childhood, and since English was the first language I learnt—yet not my mother tongue. I’m convinced it just stuck with me I my unconscious. Storytelling has always been my love, yet only once I started college (in an American institution where classes are all in English) my love for writing naturally came to me.  I write by hand, with actual paper and pen (which makes the whole process of copying it on the computer way longer, but makes the experience of writing also so much more enjoyable).

These two works are very important to me. The first is dedicated to my grandmother. I never met her because she died before I was born, yet I was named after her, so I feel a special connection with her.

The second are three haiku. I loved the idea of writing three different haiku, and then read them together, as if each one were a line of a comprehensive haiku.

 What was your introduction to poetry?