Twitter Gathers To Debate Merits Of Viral 'Laundry And Genocide' Poem

Poetry has once again found itself at the center of public discourse after a piece by writer Vinay Krishnan touched the lives of several posters on Twitter / X — and in turn, sparked brutal criticism from many others.

The poem is called "there's laundry to do and a genocide to stop." The piece seems to be a wash of the anxieties Krishnan deals with every day, from the mundane quotidian anxieties of household chores and hygiene to the brutal realities of Israel's war in Gaza, described in the poem as a genocide, and the global rise of fascism.

Several online found the poem very relatable. One particular viral response by user @audisdead called the piece "so real it hurts," and several comments beneath her tweet agreed. It's also doing very well on Instagram.

However, many others seemed to loathe the poem. More than one commenter called it "the worst poem" they'd ever read.

A common criticism levied at the poem comes from people who interpreted it to mean that because Krishnan was conflating anxieties about things like laundry with the genocide in Gaza, he was less upset about the actual genocide than he was upset that he had to be aware of it.

Others were dismissive of the form the poem took, with some comparing it to a series of texts from your worst roommate, a journal entry in a notes app and maudlin slop for what seem to be very nice people.

It seems Krishnan's poem is joining an extensive canon of works that have been ruthlessly debated on Twitter, which includes an actress wishing she was Vladimir Putin's mother, Elon Musk musing about space and of course, Rupi Kaur.