Still I Work (1)

 I wake before the city hums
with stress from the days before.
I lost sound sleep
almost a decade ago.
A brother, an uncle, dependable,
a husband now, a builder too,
fixer of issues thereof.

The world spins fast, but bills spin faster,
and duty never comes cheap.
My hands code dreams that aren’t my own,
designs for brands I do not own.
Deadlines blur with dinner plans,
Slack pings echo from my phone.

Dreams on hold
stack in that space
between burnout and survival.
A brutal loop,
running on fumes in a system
that demands nonstop output.

Some days I’m more task than man,
yet I keep the engines going.
I’m not chasing stars or fame,
just calm, a roof, a little grace,
a fridge that hums,
some gas in the tank,
love waiting in a quiet place.

It’s not that I can’t stop the race.
It’s that I can’t afford to lose my pace.
So I pour myself into each screen,
each line of code, each dotted i.
A thousand tabs between my thoughts.
No time to crash,
just pause and sigh.
But even tired, I still reply,
still show up, still try.

I’m doing what I have to do.
But I hope I don’t lose myself
someday.

Written by

Mykell Writes

Explore more poems, stories, and reflections from Mykell Writes.

View all posts
Stay inspired

Get fresh poems and reflections in your inbox.

No noise, just new writing and community updates from Poetic Koncept.

Subscribe by email
For writers

Have a poem or short story to share?

Send your writing to Poetic Koncept for review and possible publication.

Submit your writing
Mykell Writes
Mykell Writes
Articles: 15

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

error: Content is protected !!