Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur

    

     Poetry has always been something that has resonated with me. Ever since I was a little girl, there I was, sitting at my desk contemplating in my tiny brain what to write about, and how I could make my words rhyme, and drawing little doodles in the margins with my colored pencils. I wrote about nature, landscapes, holidays, seasons…. The atmosphere and natural world enchanted me.

     Since I’ve gotten older, I’ve kept my love for poetic discourse, but I’ve come to have an appreciation for reading more about women’s personal struggles and experiences. There’s something more heartfelt about it.  Enter Milk and Honey. I found out about this book based off of a recommendation by YouTuber Ingrid Nilsen, and it did not disappoint. The collection of poetry details Kaur's experiences as a daughter and a partner, going in depth about her experiences as a child and a woman. The book is divided into four chapters, each touching on a different part of her journey – them being the hurting, the loving, the breaking, and the healing. She touches on issues of physical, verbal, and emotional abuse, as well as family, love, loss, and femininity. She ties in her own experiences with these topics in a way that the reader deeply and profoundly engages, and it makes you empathize with her.  As you read, you feel her pain, her hurt, her tears, and the lessons she’s learned. You sort of learn a lot about how strongly childhood experiences can shape your future thoughts and attitudes, as well as learning about unhealthy relationships and the importance of self-love. At first, I was a bit taken aback by the explicit, graphic elements in her work, but then I came to realize her intention was not to be overly sexual. Her accounts of life are raw, honest, and true, and that’s all you can ask for from a good writer. You see the passion in her words, and it just might spark criticism. She writes in a way that crosses boundaries and evokes the fragile, emotional, but resilient nature of humanity.  She brings to light issues that society rarely talks about, raising awareness and being a voice for women who may be going through similar problems. It is here I will share a few of my favorite excerpts from the book. The first one is,

I do not want to have you

To fill the empty parts of me

I want to be full on my own

I want to be so complete

I could light a whole city

And then

I want to have you

‘cause the two of

us combined could set it

on fire

-rupi kaur

     This little snippet is deeply moving. I think it teaches women or even young girls that we don’t need a man to complete us, but merely complement us. We should be so confident in ourselves and our purpose and already be independent that we don’t seek a man, or anyone for that matter, for validation or fulfillment. And only then can we realize that can we approach any sort of relationship and have it develop into this wonderful thing that brings joy and even more meaning to our lives. We just have to work on ourselves first. The second poem,

How is it so easy for you

To be kind to people he asked

Milk and honey dripped

 from my lips as I answered

‘Cause people have not

been kind to me

-rupi kaur

     I think this beautifully illustrates how one can rise above their circumstances or what life has given them, and actively choose to be better and do better. We look at how we ourselves have been treated, and we have a choice to either learn from it and show kindness and warmth and compassion toward others or let our past define us and make us cold-hearted.

 I could go on; there are too many exquisite passages in this book and I couldn’t possibly gush over them all (well, I could, but I won’t for the sake of this post becoming too lengthy).

     I don’t know, poetry has just always been a fascinating mode of expression to me. It’s simplistic, but at the same time an incredibly creative and beautiful art form. It has the power to ignite feeling and understanding within a few short stanzas. Whether you are a feminist, a lover of poetry, or simply a curious reader in search of a meaningful work, then this book is for you. I hope you guys enjoy it like I have. To those of you who have already read it, what do you guys think? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below!