This is my second time reading Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur. I discovered this book, like my other poetry books, during therapy. I was drawn to Kaur’s short writing style but also her illustrations. What some would consider simple linework exceptionally tells the story of each poem. I decided to purchase this book because of the poem featured on the back:

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 is the author of two other poetry collections, The Sun and Her Flowers and Homebody.

Kaur beautifully organizes Milk and Honey into four sections, “the hurting,” “the loving,” “the breaking,” and “the healing.” Each section features poems and illustrations relevant to the overarching stage.

When I first read Milk and Honey, I folded the corners of the pages that resonated with me. Fast forward three years, and I am so surprised to see how far I’ve come. During my first read, the majority of the folded corners were in “the hurting.” In fact, the first poem of that section was folded:

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
(Kaur 11)

However, during my second read, I resonated with the final section, “the healing,” the most. As I read, it amazed me how Kaur brilliantly captured a process of healing through navigating the different sections of her collection. Her organization of growth and healing speaks directly to my experience, and it was amazing to see that. My favorite poem from “the healing” section:

I want to remain so
Rooted to the ground
These tears
These hands
These feet
Sink in
- Grounded 
(Kaur 195)

I would recommend this book to anyone who is just starting their therapy journey. If you mark where you are now and come back in a few months or even a few years like me, it’ll be amazing to see how far you’ve come. I would also recommend this book to anyone looking to have an introduction to poetry but who is not ready to dive into any sort of classical-style poetry. Kaur takes an accessible approach to writing. Her style is easy to read, and her ability to use imagery and emotion helps guide the reader through the collection.

Thank you for reading,