Milk and Honey Paperback – October 6, 2015

These are gorgeous and devastating works of art. Kaur captures a spirit and feeling that is moving, funny and at times a bit dirty. Loved each poem.

This book tugged at my heart! Some of the words I put in my pocket and use daily. It validates your trauma, and makes you think. Good one!

I'm very late to the Rupi Kaur fan club, but I am here to stay!Kaur's poetry is raw and fresh, and it yanked me into its world on the first page. Milk and Honey is broken into four sections of life and love, and the reader travels through heartbreak to loving to living.The first section, hurting, explains how love and pain aren't always separate, and how not knowing how to separate them is what causes skewed perspectives of love beginning in childhood. The unfiltered voice looks at how parents can shape us in the worst ways before we ever see the right ways. The poem that stayed with me is that alcoholic parents don't exist, only parents who couldn't stay sober long enough, and the truth hit me like a brick wall. It's a perspective that needs to be pushed more because it's the only true one.Favorite hurting poems: pages 34 and 39.The second section is called loving, and it shows the first step after hurting, where we find passion and fireworks in our first relationship and think we've found everything we've missed. However, it's usually the calm before the storm. The passionate love tends to involve fighting and fiery make-up sessions, and often, we mistake that for forever love when really it's just a better love than anything else we've been shown, but it's still not a good love.Favorite loving poems: pages 76-77.The third section, breaking, is about realizing you can feel both love for someone and betrayal and it's accepting that both are valid. It's forgiving yourself for having conflicting emotions because those who love us can hurt us. Breaking teaches you what real love is so you know how to recognize it from others and in yourself.Favorite breaking poems: pages 90, 95, 104, 106, and 125.The final section is called healing and it's about balance and boundaries, knowing how much of yourself to give to others only after first giving to yourself. Healing is realizing your worth as a person and taking up space. Healing is knowing you are whole because you exist.Favorite healing poems: pages 154, 159, 165, 178, and 185.The sections flow effortlessly and Kaur's writing is unrelenting and dives into you like a tidal wave. Her writing is unfiltered and a breath of fresh air. I can't wait to read her other collections.

I wish I could go back and give my 15 year old self this book. It is so beautifully powerful and inspiring.

Lately, I’ve been enjoying reading poetry so much! Luckily it’s also been keeping me on track with my Goodreads challenge, since they are so quick to read!Most poetry books are such amazing reads. The only reason I gave this one 4 stars was because it didn’t speak to me on a deeper level nor was it awe inducing. I did REALLY, REALLY enjoy this book though don’t get me wrong. This book has also been very popular lately. Everywhere you look it seems to be there, which is so awesome for the poetry genre! It needs more attention!This book is split into the hurting, the loving, the breaking, and the healing. So I want to share some of my favorite sections or poems from each part!The Hurting“the therapist placesthe doll in front of youit is the size of girlsyour uncles like touchingpoint to where his hands wereyou point to the spotbetween its legs the onehe fingered out of youlike a confession”This is the first poem that broke my heart in this collection!“every time youtell your daughteryou yell at herout of loveyou teach her to confuseanger with kindnesswhich seems like a good ideatill she grows up totrust men who hurt hercause they look so muchlike you– to fathers with daughters““a daughter shouldnot have tobeg her fatherfor a relationship”The truth in these poems is astounding! I just had to share it.The Loving“sometimes thoughlove will hurt you butlove will never mean tolove will play no gamescause love knows lifehas been hard enough already”That’s the only poem that meant anything to me in this section, which I find kind of sad since its the loving section of the book.The Breaking“dont mistakesalt for sugarif he wants tobe with youhe willit’s that simple”“i didn’t leave becausei stopped loving youi left because the longeri stayed the lessi loved myself”“when you are brokenand he has left youdo not questionwhether you wereenoughthe problem wasyou were so enoughhe was not able to carry it”“you treat them like theyhave a heart like yoursbut not everyone can be assoft and as tenderyou don’t see theperson they areyou see the personthey have the potential to beyou give and give tillthey pull everything out of youand leave you empty”GIRL, YAS! Yes, Yes, Yes. Go figure this section was the most relatable to me. I’m not surprised, but everything in the section was so true. Favorite section of the book. Hands down. This section is the reason I will recommend this book to people!The Healing“who tricked youinto believinganother personwas meant to complete youwhen they most they can do is complement”Unfortunately that’s the only poem I highlighted in this section. This also doesn’t surprise me because I, myself, have not completely healed so how I am supposed to connect with anything in this section. Which has absolutely nothing to do with Rupi or her book. However, the one thing I have learned in my healing process is that my partner shouldn’t complete me, but complement me instead!This really is a great read and I really enjoyed reading it. I’m sure so many people can relate and connect with at least one section in this collection!

It’s such a simple book, but I could feel the emotions on every page I turned too. I loved how simplistic it was but so passionate. I liked that it was short form even though my poetry is always so long when I write them. I loved this book, I appreciate the love written and given. 9/10 ⭐️

For anyone who's ever been in a bad relationship, experienced heartbreak, had to pick up the pieces of themselves after someone took liberties with your heart. For anyone who's had to learn or re-learn how to love themself. For the young, for the older. This book inspired me to feel and reflect and I truly took it to heart.

We’ve all been there one way or another - so beautifully put into words and drawings. This should be recommended reading for everyone.