Beneath a full moon
the museum resembles
a bird of prey; its wings
form a moveable plasma lamp
armed with sonic ascendancy cannons.
Sensors on the fins monitor
wind speed and direction.
A pedestrian suspension bridge
connects to an entrance hall
of flying buttresses, pointed arches
and ribbed vaults.
Down below, a group of cyclists
sorted by age, sex and basket size
ride by in their underwear
celebrating the Lunar Mortis
sponsored by the Church of Khonsu.
Before the museum stands
the greatest sculpture in the city
“The Unnamed General
on His Unnamed Horse”
both lost in the Great Jalapeño Fire.
Balancing formal acuity
with evocative content
it unites the populace
and projects shared values.
A noxious gas is released
and the midnight crowd enters the exhibit
in an orderly fashion
watched over by muscular docents
armed with thermal handguns.
Slam circuits vibrate
through windswept corridors
of speaking walls
covered in hermetic runes
and biomechanical tubes.
The first image displays
in crystalline detail
the pregnant uterus of a New Forest pony.
The second image shows
a small group of squirrels
tussling over a pine cone full of nuts.
Copper flashing
and sheet metal paneling
manipulate the plane of focus
towards the view looking west
showing the Ring of Flames
mounted on variable geometry pylons.
A glass wall surrounds the courtyard.
In the center, submerged in blue liquid
is what appears to be a baby’s arm
holding an apple.
The museum cafe offers
an ever-changing menu
of contemporary cuisine
inspired by the feature exhibition
“Nature and the American Vision”
appropriate for appetites
both hearty and petite.
A holographic menu appears
at each table.
For dining al fresco
service extends to the terrace
offering a view of the Great Aqua Pit.
Hand railings protect visitors from injury.
A healthy selection of beers
and imported whiskeys
enlivens the performance
of traditional Irish music.
Sample a tray of Weyauwega cheese.
Visiting artists promote
updated cultural hierarchies
while keeping patrons busy with trivia.
Today’s special treat is Smart Fescue
a rare breed of sentient plant life
renowned among city botanists
and grown using the Cage System.
An interactive hydrologic touch-tank
contains lake sturgeon and stingrays
as well as captive orcas
festooned with ornamental starfish.
Head-mounted goggles, haptic suits
and omnidirectional treadmills
offer visitors multidimensional
telepresence immersion.
Underlying algorithms are preserved
as consciousness is carried
across to new platforms
collaborating with viral systems
to enhance glowflow personalization.
An assembly of dilithium crystals
form the walls of the intermix chamber.
Last is the inclusive Gift Shop.
Store assistants present each visitor
with an individualized
commemorative stone.
Popular gift items include
Kandinsky wallets with
magnetic money clips
Larry Sultan Oranges on Fire tea and
Frank Lloyd Wright leather checklettes
which come in two styles
Classic and Grand.
Make sure to ask about
the membership discount.
Paul Vogel is a poet from Milwaukee. His most recent chapbooks are Ecology Center (2021) and Art Museum (2022), both published by Associate Adjunct Press. He edits trilobite.bond, a poetry website designed by Sam Helgeson.
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