From Heartfelt to Hysterical, Twitter Parenting Poems Go Viral in Japan · Global Voices
Mari Wakimoto

[All links lead to Japanese-language pages unless otherwise noted.]
Japanese Twitter users recently peppered the site with tweets about childcare. But it wasn't about how fewer Japanese workers are making use of legally guaranteed childcare leave. Nor was it about the much-debated education policy in the platforms of the island's political parties in the recent 23rd election of the House of Councilors [en].
Departing from politics, Japanese netizens simply wrote poems about parenthood, sharing their personal experiences under the hashtag #途中から育児の話になるポエム, which means “Suddenly A Poem About Taking Care Of a Child”.
Among the messages under the hashtag were both the troubles and the pleasure of parenting. Mothers and fathers expressed their experiences in various styles of writings, from parodies of well-known songs to humorous or self-deprecating posts.
One mother expressed her loving thoughts to her sound asleep children, with a sincere wish:
隣で眠る君の寝顔 切ないほど愛しいよ ずっとそのまま穏やかに 朝まで絶対目覚めないで #途中から育児の話になるポエム
— よく眠りたまに色々考える主婦 (@toppinpararin) July 25, 2013
Your sleeping face beside me looks so sweet. Please stay calm and never wake up until the morning.
Another user @wandayou_　wrote about the support a parent can give to a child while it goes unnoticed by the child:
できるよ。君ならできるよ！って、何度も背中を押した。 何度も何度も、背中を押した。 それでも君は静かに笑っていた。 諦めて寝かせたらやっぱりミルク吐いた。 #途中から育児の話になるポエム
— 氷室専用わんだゆー (@wandayou_) July 25, 2013
You can. Yes, you can. I gave you a supportive pat again and again. Over again and again, I pat your back, and you still smile gently until I give up and put you on the bed… I knew it! You spew out milk.
Ukey offered a humorous poem of fatherhood:
イヤよダメ/乱暴しないで/私の胸をまさぐらないで/お父さんはおっぱい出ないんだから #途中から育児の話になるポエム
— ゆーきー (@Ukey_) July 25, 2013
Oh no, please / Please be gentle to me / don’t grope my breast like that / Daddy can’t feed you milk from my breast.
Green_daram, a mother to a young child, wrote about the special touches of a child:
どんなに私が疲れた顔をしていても あなたは私に笑顔を向けてくれる そして励ますように私の髪に触れ そっとおかゆをなすりつける #途中から育児の話になるポエム
— すらりん@かーちゃん (@green_daram) July 25, 2013
However tired I look, you smile at me. Then, you touch my hair encouragingly and softly daub it with porridge.
More users joined in to talk about everyday experiences of parenthood with whimsy:
お願い ずっとこの手を離さないで いつかは去っていくと分かっていても お願いよ今だけはそばにいて ねえ ふりほどかないで せめて同じ道を歩かせて 死ぬぞお前 #途中から育児の話になるポエム
— 志乃★陣痛なう本 発売中☆ (@shinoegg) July 25, 2013
Please don’t ever let go of my hand.
I know you will leave some day, but please stay with me for now.
No, please don’t pull out your arm. Please walk with me on the same road.
Or are you trying to kill yourself?
言葉に出来ず ただ抱きしめる ただ抱きしめる 洗濯機から なんでダンゴムシ 出てくるの #途中から育児の話になるポエム
— Erinko (@erinkoinko) July 25, 2013
A feeling beyond words. All I can do is just hold you, just hold you. Why does a pill bug appear from the washing machine?
やめて　聞きたくないこんな時に　聞きたくないこんな場所で　いつになく真剣な瞳で　あなたが言いたい事はわかってる　U・N・TI　トイレなんてないのに　#途中から育児の話になるポエム
— 青蟲 (@aomushisann) July 25, 2013
Stop. I don’t want to hear now. I don’t want to hear your words. You stare at me with unusually serious eyes. I know what you want to say…p-o-o-p-i-e. Oh my, there is no restroom around here.
User @fumipol referenced “Soiled Sorrow” [en], a famous poem written by Japanese poet and translator Chūya Nakahara [en]:
汚れちまった悲しみに 我が家は賃貸なの そこに落書きしないで #途中から育児の話になるポエム
— リュック (@fumipol) July 25, 2013
Soiled sorrow. We rent this house. Please don’t scribble there.
The tweets were collected and organized by topics on Togetter and Naver, a service that allows user to construct stories with aggregated social media quotes. Readers posted their impressions:
夫への愛と、夫の子供への愛は、かくも異なることがまざまざとわかるポエム集（笑）やらかしたのが夫だったら、絶対許せねえww / “途中から育児の話になるポエム – Togetter” http://t.co/ag46NMO0IN
— Mayumi MIURA 三浦真弓 (@mayumiura) July 25, 2013
This collection of poems makes it clear that the love for a husband and the love for a child is that different. LOL. If my husband made these, however, I would never forgive him XD
これは面白い。どこの子も同じなのね（笑） → お母さん必見！「#途中から育児の話になるポエム」傑作選 – NAVER まとめ http://t.co/ACIIXH5ZVX
— ProductionSC (@sc_pro) July 26, 2013
This is interesting. Every child does the same things. LOL. →Don’t miss it, mothers! #途中から育児の話になるポエム, the best sellection – Naver