By Matthew Mckenzie – facilitator of national ethnic mental health carers forum

I’m pleased to share “Unpaid, Unseen and Yet Unbroken”, a spoken word poetry video that marks the first poem released from my forthcoming poetry collection of the same name.

This first poem speaks from within the lived reality of unpaid mental health carers, particularly those from ethnic and marginalised communities whose labour is often overlooked, misunderstood, or taken for granted. It reflects moments many carers will recognise: waiting rooms, misrecognition, quiet endurance, and the strength it takes to keep showing up without acknowledgement.

🎥 Watch the spoken word video here:

The wider collection I am currently working on brings together poems shaped by care, fatigue, love, resilience, and survival. It is a body of work rooted in lived experience and community voices, offering poetry not only as expression, but as witness and affirmation.

This first poem sets the tone for what is to come, promoting honest, reflective, and unapologetic in its call for carers to be seen, heard, and respected.

This work is part of my ongoing commitment through my A Caring Mind youtube channel to use creativity as a way to challenge stigma, amplify unheard voices, and centre care as a vital social contribution.

More poems from this collection will be shared in the coming months.