the light haus

Yoko Ono's Cleaning Pieces

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.

I like this piece because it registers and celebrates the pain/joy you have within yourself  rather than just letting the feelings vegetate within your own sense of being (unhealthy) without knowing what they mean to you. Ono gives space for these feelings, active feelings. It’s a healthy suggestion for the unrest so many experience in the complicated cloud we call today’s society. 

This song was the soundtrack to our week in July in Wales 2017. Right on the coastline after having been to Manchester, this British pop hit matched the excitement and energy of an long awaited reunion.