I Stayed

Poems on Single Parenthood, Betrayal, and Choosing Life

By: Morgan Riley

Narrated by: Louise Smith

I Stayed is a poetry collection about what it means to endure when leaving feels impossible.

Written from the perspective of a single parent navigating betrayal, abandonment, and survival, these poems trace the quiet work of holding a family together while everything else falls apart. They explore rage and grief, identity and sacrifice, and the invisible labor of staying for a child, for love, for life itself.

At its heart, I Stayed is also a book about redemption. About the way a child’s love can tether someone to the world. About choosing presence over disappearance. About finding meaning in responsibility when hope feels out of reach.

Spare, intimate, and unflinching, this collection speaks to:

• single parents and caregivers
• those who stayed too long for the sake of family
• anyone who has survived betrayal
• and anyone who found a reason to live when they were ready to give up

I Stayed is not a story of perfection or healing wrapped in platitudes. It is a record of survival. A declaration of love. A testament to the power of staying.

©2026 Morgan Riley (P)2026 Morgan Riley