Maya Narrative about not being listened to!

⚠️ Content Warning: This poem contains references to suicide, suicidal thoughts, mental health distress, loneliness, racism, discrimination, hopelessness and emotional pain. Please take care while engaging with this content and seek support if needed.

In this poem, an anonymous storyteller reflects on their experiences of mental health distress, suicidality and feeling unseen. Through poetry, they explore the weight of carrying pain in silence, the impact of feeling unheard, and the struggle of navigating a world that can sometimes feel isolating and unwelcoming.

The poem speaks to the reality that many people face emotional distress behind closed doors, often hiding their struggles from those around them. It explores themes of loneliness, belonging, hope, survival and the importance of human connection. While deeply personal, the poem also reflects experiences shared by many people who have felt excluded, misunderstood or unable to access the support they needed.

The storyteller's words remind us of the importance of listening without judgment, creating spaces where people can speak openly, and recognising that asking for help is an act of courage.

This poem forms part of Building the Space: Amplifying Racialised Voices in Suicide Prevention, a campaign focused on amplifying lived experience, building community-led evidence and creating positive change.

About the Campaign

Building the Space: Amplifying Racialised Voices in Suicide Prevention is a year-long campaign led by Isaac Samuels OBE that seeks to amplify lived experiences of suicidality, suicide prevention and bereavement within racialised communities.

The campaign was created in response to the continued absence of racialised voices within conversations about suicide prevention, mental health, research, policy and service design.

Through lived experience storytelling, poetry, community dialogue and collective learning, Building the Space creates opportunities for people to share their experiences safely and on their own terms. These stories contribute to a growing body of community-led evidence that can help shape future policy, practice, research and support.

At the heart of the campaign is a simple belief:

The people closest to the issues are often closest to the solutions.