by Ellery Thompson
Inspired by Yoko Ono
cut all the leaves off a tree
wait a year for new ones to grow back
glue the old leaves back before autumn starts
and see which ones fall off first
people part 1
go to a park
take pictures of all the animals
there will probably be squirrels
show them to the animals
and nobody else
people part 2
sit outside on the street against a wall
and take a picture of every person you see for three hours
hang all the pictures on the wall
you may use tape
and take them down before the sun sees
walk outside every morning at 5:21am
catch a bird and have him live in your house for a week
see if any other birds come to your window
if they do release the old bird and keep the new one for a week
see how long you can keep a bird for
turn every light off at every place in the world at 2:00am there time
see if anyone notices
if they do turn their own light off every morning at 8:00 am for a month
record their response and send it to them
play a John Lennon song over and over for a day
cut out john’s voice and background vocals so that its just Yoko Ono
play the new version on repeat for a day
decide which one you like better
Take four apples off an apple tree
Eat one
Join the Johnny appleseed club
Send the second one to a friend
Don’t attach a note
Just write your name on the apple
You may use a sharpie
See if they join the Johnny appleseed club
Cut up the third apple
And give it to a stray dog
The dog will like it
See if the dog joins the Johnny appleseed club
Then cut the apple into pieces
One for each house you’ve lived them
Play the song
“within you without you”
three times each morning
and two times at night
for three days
then watch the movie
the secret garden
once.
Knock on the door
Of everybody who has ever made you cry
Leave before they have time to answer
But not too quick
So they can see your footprints on the ground before them
Keep a journal
Every day for a year
At the end of the year
Give the journal to the person you wrote most about
And give a second copy to the person you wrote the least about
And see who responds first
Spread peanut butter on a piece of bread
Spread jelly on a piece of bread
Put the pieces together
Cut them in half
Eat one half immediately
And save the other half
For a rainy day
Say hello
To every living thing you see
For an hour
And see how many times you say hi
for the next hour
Say hi to everything you see you care about
Including material things
See how many times you say hi
Say every word you speak backwards
For one day
And put a tally on your leg every time
Somebody doesn’t understand you
You may use either leg
Stand in a empty pool when it is raining
Don’t get out until the pool is filled up to your nose
This may take many days
Try not to complain
The more strenuous task is getting the water back out of the pool
You may require a bucket
But you can only use it if you use a shovel as well
Correct one person a day on a word rightfully pronounced
And see if they correct you back
If they do correct you
send them a dead flower for every syllable of the word
If they do not correct you
Send them a real flower for each eye they have
speed review 