MAXXI
Dominic Symes (University of Adelaide, Australia)
construction site
a suspension of language
this building
of an afternoon
now in the bright air
white space
between apologies
to the Etruscan sandstone
from the concrete blocks
keeping us apart
a dream you do not become
conscious of dreaming in
a building in two languages
full of bi-lingual prose
the same thing
as appropriating
awkward lines
& desires lost to history
a museum of contemporary art
taking a step away from
this moment together
to gather
to get a great
photograph of you
sun in your hair
drinking sparkling water
on a white park bench
the way Zaha Hadid
would have wanted
this building of a moment
extracted from the present
in two languages
enlivened
the white space
architecture as haute couture
not the stuff of the everyday
but of fantasy
—MAXXI Museum, Roma, 6/10/17
Dominic Symes (28) is a poet from Adelaide. His poetry has been published in Australian Book Review, Australian Poetry Journal, Award Winning Australian Writing, Mantra (US), Coldnoon (IND), and Broadsheet (NZ). He is currently undertaking a PhD at the University of Adelaide. He also curates the monthly poetry reading series NO WAVE. Visit his website.
