TRACES UNDER THE SKIN

Identity as a poem in continuous evolution

Identification is never a final destination, but a perpetual journey toward self-understanding. From his 2014 poetry collection “ASTONISHMENT“, here is a new and evocative composition by Dastilige Nevante, a dense and refined poetics that invites reflection and inner exploration.

“RECOGNIZE YOURSELF: Composing rhymes under the skin. Their irises are gestures and words that run and seek, exploring the wonder of identification. Once again.”

Let us dive deep into the evocative and layered invitation of the poem, which urges us to look within ourselves. On the surface, the title – be it “RECOGNIZE YOURSELF” or the slight variant “RECOGNIZE THEM” – immediately incites us to undertake a process of self-discovery. Rather than affirming a static and immutable identity, the poem suggests that identity is a continuous becoming, a creative act carved beneath our skin. The mirror of the irises with verses that search and glances that tell,  the wonder of being made of invisible rhymes and gestures that write the self.

With a refined use of linguistic nuances, Dastilige Nevante’s text has fluidity and impact. The opening line, “Composing rhymes under the skin,” strikes with its fusion of corporeality and art. “Composing” suggests an intentional creative act, but when the canvas is our skin, it implies that identity is not imposed from the outside, but rather organically constructed by our inner experience. In this way, language—the vehicle of rhymes—merges with the physiology of our being, highlighting that our essence is both visible and perceptible, pronounced and intuited. Continuing, the image of “Their irises are gestures and words that run and seek” deepens this perspective. The iris, often considered a window to the soul, here also takes on a dynamic dimension: a gesture imbued with movement and a word in perpetual search. This fusion of image and action reinforces the idea that vision is not a passive act, but rather an active and embodied process. The eyes, through their movements and subtle expressions, continually rewrite the narrative of who we are, suggesting that our way of seeing the world is intrinsically connected to internal inquiry and external observation.

The expression “exploring the wonder of identification. Once again” brings the reader back to the cyclical nature of the process of self-recognition. The adverbial “once again” suggests that identity is never a definitive goal, but rather an experience that we rediscover with every heartbeat. Repetition becomes a gentle reminder: even when we believe we have fully understood ourselves, there is always another layer, a further nuance, yet to be revealed. This cyclical movement mirrors the recurring rhythms of composition, reading and internal listening, in which each gesture becomes a new interpretation of the evolving self. The subtle interaction between corporeality and language, between art and life, inserts the poem into the larger corpus of Dastilige Nevante‘s works. Her poetic language, often immersed in the realms of magical realism and surrealism, invites us to appreciate the mutability and complexity of our inner landscapes, as rich and multifaceted as any work of art. Poetry, though essential in form, is profoundly dense in its implications: it serves as both a mirror and a map—a mirror that reflects the intrinsic art of our embodied existence and a map that guides us on the recurring journey of inner transformation.

This poetry does not urge us to seek a definitive answer, but invites us to celebrate the process of continuous discovery—a profoundly human and infinitely creative endeavor. Beyond these reflections, one might also consider how Dastilige Nevante’s poetry explores the very nature of creative expression. In suggesting that our identities are written in our flesh—composed like verses beneath the skin—Nevante argues that creativity is an intrinsic component of our existence. In every fleeting glance, in every subtle gesture, a narrative unfolds; understanding it can inspire us to approach life as an ever-evolving work, full of possibilities and new compositions. What is most striking is the invitation to continually re-examine ourselves. In moments of silent introspection, do we observe our inner language as carefully as we scrutinize the outside world? How does the interplay between what we see and what we perceive shape our understanding of who we are?

Identification is never a final destination, but a perpetual journey toward self-understanding. From his 2014 poetry collection “ASTONISHMENT“, here is a new poem by Dastilige Nevante, an invitation to inner exploration. Rather than asserting a static and immutable identity, the poem suggests that identity is a continuous becoming, a creative act carved beneath the skin. The mirror of irises with lines that seek and glances that tell, the wonder of being made of invisible rhymes and gestures that write the self. To look within yourself, immerse yourself in the evocative and layered invitation of the poem, images and the soundtrack “CRYSTAL” by FiftySounds.