スキップしてメイン コンテンツに移動

I Want to Stay Here

This poem captures the warmth and emerging trust shared among children, parents, and caregivers during a kindergarten entrance ceremony. Within this ordinary moment, the anxieties and hopes of children encountering a new environment intertwine with the gentle presence of the adults around them. In particular, the image of a child crying because they “want to stay here” quietly reveals the essence and commitment at the heart of early childhood care.


“I Want to Stay Here”

 

At the entrance ceremony of Hassamu Nicorin Kodomoen,

Dressed-up little children sit adorably.

Parents gaze at them with affection.

The ceremony begins.

 

The principal plays hand games with the children.

To the song “Musunde Hiraite,”

Parents and children move their hands together joyfully.

The atmosphere softens—

everyone settles in with ease and reassurance.

 

A welcoming performance by the teachers begins.

They search for animals hidden within pictures on a board.

Chairs, a piano, building blocks, lunch—

familiar things from the kindergarten hide them within.

Children lean forward, pointing with their fingers,

exchange smiles with their parents.

Led by the teachers, it ends in no time.

A message follows: “We look forward to seeing you next week.”

In closing, the principal declares,

“We will take good care of your children,”

showing the staff the dignity of their responsibility.

 

It was only about twenty minutes.

Among the parents were graduates of this very school.

The principal warmly greets them in friendly conversation.

To the staff who led the ceremony,

she offers words of praise: “Well done.”

They reply, “We were nervous,”

yet smile with quiet joy.

 

As the line of departing parents thins,

a child is crying at the entrance.

The mother tries to soothe them, but the tears do not stop.

The principal gently asks, “What’s wrong?”

“They must be refusing to leave, wanting to stay here,”

she says, putting on her shoes.

The mother comes closer and confirms, “That’s exactly it.”

Hearing those tears of longing,

I understood the resolve it takes to be a place for children.

 

Written on April 11, 2026.

After attending the entrance ceremony at Nicorin Kodomoen for the first time.

The gentle atmosphere captured even the hearts of the children.

 

このブログの人気の投稿

Knowing at Sunset　(New Year’s Card, 2026)

his poem reflects on life as it is seen at sunset— not as an ending, but as a moment when past light, lingering warmth, and the promise of a new dawn quietly coexist. Knowing at sunset — the gradations of a life. Passion has not yet cooled; the days bathed in sunlight now lie distant. Life glows in the lingering afterlight. Melting into sunset — the strange encounters a life bestows. Benevolence remains precious still; with the sun at one ’ s back, shadows are cast. Life resounds in the hues of evening. Cherishing the beauty of sunset — the last story of a life. Embers have not yet burned out; in the stillness that reaches culmination, one is suffused by a new sun.
Read more »

To Those Guided by Young Children

This poem listens to life as it is reflected in young children— their gaze, their silence, their small questions. Each moment asks something of us, quietly but unmistakably, calling not for sentiment, but for responsibility, care, and action. To Those Guided by Young Children To meet the gaze of a young child demands a sincerity that faces them head-on. In a young child’s tears, an anger that must not be indulged is questioned. In a young child’s smile, the meaning of selfless joy is questioned. In a young child’s gestures, the warmth of an embracing presence is questioned. In a young child’s fragile voice, our readiness to respond without delay is questioned. In a young child’s silence, the wisdom to sense the heart beyond words is questioned. In a young child’s small questions, our breadth of vision toward the world is questioned In the radiance of a young child’s life, our resolve to protect the present is questioned. The peace a young child seeks without cease mu...
Read more »

A World of Right and Wrong

This poem examines a world where the line between right and wrong is deliberately blurred. By questioning language, justification, and power, it confronts the moral evasions that sustain domination and asks what happens when self-overcoming is refused.   A World of Right and Wrong   When facing a matter, we must examine our way of thinking. We must examine our use of words. We must examine our everyday conduct.   What is the basis that claims alignment with reason? What is the basis for asserting what is “ right ” ? What is the basis for believing one is doing good?   Is a slip of the tongue a lie meant to protect oneself? Is a mocking laugh arrogance that looks down on others? Is failure nothing more than shifting responsibility?   Self-serving values are proclaimed as legitimate. Self-centered ethics are boasted as humanitarian. Ego-driven morality is substituted for education.   One secures absolute c...
Read more »