While we are all wishing COVID-19 would GTFO of our lives, and 2020 altogether, putting this plea into a sentence that doesn’t start and end with cuss words is a challenge, to say the least. Thankfully, guardian angel and Japanese modern avant-garde art hero, Yayoi Kusama has done exactly this, in the most gentle way humanly possible: via a poem. The 91-year-old artist released a poem where she simply and eloquently asked coronavirus to be off with itself.

The renowned Kusama addressed her poem not only to COVID-19, but the entire world as she urges us to “fight and overcome our unhappiness”, which hits a soft spot, touching on her own mental health issues, a topic Kusama has been open with throughout her life. Signing off as “Revolutionist of the world of art”, the poem goes as follows, below.

Though it glistens just out of reach, I continue to pray for hope to shine through
Its glimmer lighting our way
This long awaited great cosmic glow

Now that we find ourselves on the dark side of the world
The gods will be there to strengthen the hope we have spread throughout the universe

For those left behind, each person's story and that of their loved ones
It is time to seek a hymn of love for our souls
In the midst of this historic menace, a brief burst of light points to the future
Let us joyfully sing this song of a splendid future
Let's go

Embraced in deep love and the efforts of people all over the world
Now is the time to overcome, to bring peace
We gathered for love and I hope to fulfil that desire
The time has come to fight and overcome our unhappiness

To COVID-19 that stands in our way
I say Disappear from this earth
We shall fight
We shall fight this terrible monster

Now is the time for people all over the world to stand up
My deep gratitude goes to all those who are already fighting.

Revolutionist of the world by the Art
From Yayoi Kusama