Kevin Spacey made his first artistic appearance since November 2017 today in Rome, reading Gabriele Tinti‘s poem The Boxer in Palazzo Massimo, the Roman National Museum. Recent Spacey’s pics in London was spotted on social media during last days and nobody expected the Roman event, where he read The Boxer in front of many people and international press. Support Kevin Spacey was present at the event, during which a crowd of unsuspecting 150 visitors surrounded the actor, welcomed with the typical warmth of his Italian public, to whom he dedicated an en encore outside the room hosting The Boxer statue. After people applauded his performance, Kevin Spacey appeared happy and moved, enthusiastic to share his time with them, taking pics and exchanging words with fans there present. Gabriele Tinti’s poem has been read by different artists in the last years, like Robert Davi, Franco Nero and Alessandro Haber, both in Rome and LA’s Getty Museum.

Read The Boxer below:

Say that again, please. I can’t hear what you’re saying. My face is made of bronze, can’t you see? Look at my eyes, my ears, this chest. Say it again, if you like. Or save your breath. The words give way before me. Every time there is something that doesn’t add up, the voice is lost. I don’t know why, but it is never enough. What is that you’re saying? Perhaps you’re right. The more you’re wounded the greater you are. And the more empty you are. They used me for their entertainment, fed on shoddy stuff. Life was over in a moment. It was always like this: I fought, I looked for an edge, a dawn where I could start again. I have endured no end of sleepless nights. I have spent hours and hours sweating to destroy and fall. I did everything to fill up every space. The blood shone in my veins and, basically, I always wanted to drop.

What you see are my gloves sacred to life, my wounds. Stop a minute, rest your hand there, look. You have to suck the heart of a hero as long as it beats, you ought to know this. I shook the country, made the arenas vibrate, tore my opponents to shreds. I lit up the darkness, collected insults, compelled applause. Not everyone knew how to do this. None of you. On the other hand life is not frightening for those who have never taken a risk. Who can understand me? Who can I still speak to? The spirit is ill, it can no longer be cured. It will disappear off the face of the earth. This is its fate. I know, now I am tired and becoming sad. This is why you have dug me the grave. You have opened it down there, far away. To conceal me. So as not to have problems and not have to see. Fools! You couldn’t imagine that I would be resuscitated in this metal suit, that I would come back to stare at you with my dark face, without lips.

It’s all over

How many fingers do you see?

I free my mind

Can you see my hand?

I rest my concentration

Where are you now?

I calm myself for a moment

What round is it?

I get back my breath

End it!

The deep vortex shouts loudly

End it!

The furious audience shouts itself hoarse

End it!

I hear him barking at me. I stop to look at him.

He is on his feet again. He asks for no mercy.

He seeks only a little truth, a new wound.

…

everything’s

good

I feel

good

I hit

good

right on

hard

we’re there!

I cross

the limit

I no longer feel

anything

but I see

his grimace

it’s a grimace

of pain

I realize that

he’s hurting

that he feels

like a block

a grip

he seems

a prisoner

of his own body

he sways

seems

to give way

no!

he’s still there

he has that stare

that fixed stare

with it

he crowds me

shadows me

advances

I can again hear

voices now

shouting

I hear

my name

called loudly

here!

we are!

I no longer feel

anything

I cross

the limit

I strike

fast

dance

light

everything’s

good

I feel

good

I hit and move

good

in short skips

small steps

I turn

where I have to

do everything

as I should

he gets under

he hits me

it’s hot

I feel

my body

free

I feel

every fiber in me

that reacts

I keep moving

and hitting

we’re there!

he’s feeling

my blows

I know I have to

hold fast

and carry on

he hits me

in the face

a rush

goes through me pure

unstemmed

pain

I touch myself

the wound

is open

it spurts blood

but it’s

nothing

everything’s

good

it’s only

blood

I stare at him

he stares

back

but I’m

good

we’re there!

I see

nothing now

I feel

I only feel

a great heat

rising

and my body

gasp

gush

it’s my body

yes

my body

that gasps

foams

burns

all I can

sense

is spasm

all I can

feel

is pain

but it lasts

a moment

it lasts

only

a moment

it’s all over

it went

as it had to

as I would

have wanted

it not to

I look at myself

as if from a distance

the open wound

still spurting

blood

but it’s ok

like this

I’ve always lived

like this

in a red

red

sea

of blood

I look at myself

and see myself

a distance

and everything

is splendor

in the place I am

everything

is calm

and rapture

and pleasure

everything

is love

I look at myself

and see a man

just a man.

RELATED LINK: Kevin Spacey about how «the risk takers are eventually rewarded»

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