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This Is Not Sustainable

What It Feels Like to Carry Everything Alone

By Alicia Melnick Published about 7 hours ago 1 min read
Image and writing by the author.

I am exhausted.

Mentally, emotionally, physically, and financially.

I take care of everything every day.
There is no break.
There is no backup.
There is no one consistently showing up for me.

The person I should be able to rely on is inconsistent.
I cannot depend on him for stability, support, or relief.
I adjust constantly to what he does or does not do.

My needs are minimized.
When I speak, I am not truly heard.
My inner world is not acknowledged.
My concerns are dismissed or reduced to something small.

I do not feel supported emotionally.
I handle my feelings alone.
There is no one checking in on me in a meaningful way.
There is no one carrying any part of this with me.

I am tired from lack of sleep.
I am tired from constant responsibility.
I am tired from having no space to take care of myself.

I do not have a support system.
I do not have family I can rely on.
I do not have consistent help.

I am doing everything while being expected to need nothing.

My financial future feels unstable.
It is treated as if it does not matter.
I carry the stress of it alone.

I continue because I have to.
I continue because my child depends on me.
I continue even when I feel depleted.

This is not sustainable.
This is not balanced.
This is not fair.

I need support.
I need consistency.
I need to be acknowledged.

I am not asking for too much.
I am asking for what should already be there.

Free VerseMental Healthsad poetrysocial commentary

About the Creator

Alicia Melnick

Writer & visual artist exploring emotional truth, creativity, and the long work of breaking inherited patterns. Essays and prose exploring resilience, identity, and carrying light forward.

📜 writing | 🎨 art → @spookywhimsy

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