I kept seeing posts on Instagram like the one below. Who is this Rupi Kaur I would say? making a mental note to look up the poet. I would forget until another poem would appear on my feed. When I finally did my homework, I immediate ordered Milk and Honey, Kaur’s first collection of poems.
Milk and Honey…that sounds nice
this is the journey of
surviving through poetry
this is the blood sweat tears
of twenty-one years
this is my heart
in your hands
this is
the hurting
the loving
the breaking
the healing
– rupi kaur
The poem above is featured on the back of the book and is a brief synopsis of the book. Do not let the brevity of the poems fool you. Rupi’s poems are experiences. They are honest. Kaur breaks her book into four parts: the hurting, the loving, the breaking and the healing.
Review: Milk and Honey – Rupi Kaur
The Hurting
The hurting touches on topics of rape, sexual abuse, and abusive parenting. It describes feelings of emptiness and suppression, however, also the ability to transcend the hurt with kindness. It describes the fractured relationship left as a result of abuse.
you have sadness
living in places
sadness shouldn’t live
The Loving
The loving section of Milk and Honey is about love, hope, sex, intimacy, women’s bodies and being consumed by a relationship.
you might not have been my first love
but you were the love that made
all the other loves
irrelevant.
The Breaking
The breaking is about heartbreak, the bitter aspects of relationships, and relationships that break you down or cause to be someone you aren’t.
i am a museum full of art
but you had your eyes shut
The Healing
The healing is about loving yourself, openness and kindness. It’s about celebrating and supporting other women’s successes and celebrating feminine beauty in all its different colors, shapes and sizes.
our backs
tell stories
no books have
the spine to
carry
-women of color
What have been your favorite reads this summer? Leave a comment below!
