Words & Image: Yes

"Ceiling Painting (YES Painting)" Yoko Ono (1966)

CLEANING PIECE I
Write down a sad memory.
Put it in a box.
Burn the box and sprinkle the ashes in the field.
You may give some ashes
to a friend who shared the sadness.

CLEANING PIECE II
Make a numbered list of sadness in your life.
Pile up stones corresponding to those numbers.
Add a stone, each time there is sadness.
Burn the list, and appreciate the mount of stones for its beauty.

Make a numbered list of happiness in your life.
Pile up stones corresponding to those numbers.
Add a stone, each time there is happiness.
Compare the mount of stones to the one of sadness.

CLEANING PIECE III
Try to say nothing negative about anybody.
a) for three days
b) for forty-five days
c) for three months

See what happens to your life.

CLEANING PIECE IV
Write down everything you fear in life.
Burn it.
Pour herbal oil with a sweet scent on the ashes.

CLEANING PIECE V
Let a list of arbitary names come into your mind as you go to sleep.
Say “bless you” after each name.
Do this with speed, by keeping a constant rythm,
so, in no way, you would hesitate to bless them.

-Yoko Ono, "Cleaning Pieces" from Grapefruit (1970)

Comments

[JJalltheway]

Fantastic!! Thank you for that. Just reading about doing those things makes me feel better, imagine how good I'll feel if I do some of them! I love Yoko.

[Cynthia]

I met Yoko Ono a few years ago when I won a trip to Iceland for an Imagine Peace slogan contest. I became a big fan after that. She travels to Iceland every year to light the Imagine Peace Tower. I also saw the premiere of her Imagine Peace film. But I have not seen this "Cleaning Pieces" writing. I really like it. Thanks.