​Another Dot in the World, by Michelle Nott

​Another Dot in the World

​A polka dot
alone
holds a power
worth repeating
 
Worth loving
 
a girl named Yayoi
stared 
stared
stared
at the kitchen tablecloth
while her parents argued.
 
Its red flower pattern 
transformed into spots
transfixed onto the walls, ceiling 
and windows. Elsewhere, 
Yayoi's mind encircled her 
 
at the parachute factory. Yayoi                       
sketched 
sketched
sketched
flowers and stones
while WWII exploded.
 
Her pencil drew violets
and pebbles 
beyond the margins 
of her papers. Elsewhere, 
Yayoi's mind encircled her
 
at a vegetable nursery. Yayoi
listened
listened
listened
to a pumpkin speak gently 
She would 
paint large gourds. Elsewhere, 
Yayoi's mind encircled her
 
finally at art school. Yayoi
traced in black ink
as her professors directed.
Her works passed as traditional but
she was not. Elsewhere, 
Yayoi's mind let go
 
in the mountains.
A Japanese poet 
invited Yayoi 
to be 
 
Free 
from arguments
from explosions
from directions                                   
 
She spread out
 
her materials
inks
oils
tempura
 
paints
paper
pumpkins
 
With her brush, Yayoi pushed
the polka dots this way 
and that
 
Yayoi embraced
 
her mind and she 
searched inside
and created and found 
her peace 
 
This peace 
created courage
and ambition
and power
 
in New York City.
American artists 
welcomed Yayoi 
to be
 
Full
of political arguments
of artistic explosions
of no one telling her what to do
 
But her mind was
 
gathering polka dots
She painted wall to wall to
ceiling to floor
 
Each dot on paper                               
One less in her head
 
Each dot on canvas                             
One less in her head
 
Each dot on textile                              
One less in her head
 
so many Yayoi had 
to let go.
Back
 
to Japan. 
to a hospital.
to her artwork. Everywhere,  
she encircles us
 
In her work                                                     
Yayoi Kusama                                    
invites us                                             
to be                                                    
                                                            
In her world                                        
Yayoi Kusama                                    
welcomes us                                       
to be    
                                                                                                            
a polka dot
 
worth repeating
 
Michelle Nott

after Self-Portrait, by Yayoi Kusama (Japan) 2008
https://www.tate.org.uk/tate-etc/issue-24-spring-2012/infinity-on-single-canvas
(Scroll down to view.)

Michelle Nott is a bilingual and dual national American-French poet, author, and educator who holds a M.A. in French Literature with concentrations in surrealism and decolonization and a B.A. in Education with a minor in Creative Writing. Her poetry can be found in a forthcoming anthology from Lerner and in The Ekphrastic Review. She is the author of Teddy, Let’s Go!, published by Enchanted Lion Books.