I Stayed

I Stayed is a poetry collection about the cost of being easy and the quiet moment when the cost becomes visible. Written in spare, intimate lines, these poems trace the emotional labor of staying- staying agreeable, staying reachable, staying composed. They move through silence, work, relationships, and the private negotiations we make to remain acceptable, often at our own expense. Rather than offering declarations or dramatic turning points, I Stayed pays attention to what shifts quietly: a pause left unfilled, an explanation withheld, a self no longer managed for others’ comfort. It examines what happens when endurance is mistaken for strength, and how often praise rewards disappearance.