I first discovered Rupi Kaur on Instagram, of all places. A few of the accounts I was following periodically posted some of her poems, which were always aesthetically pleasing and thought provoking. The appearance of Rupi Kaur’s poems has become as iconic as those of E.E. Cummings and Shel Silverstein. Rupi Kaur’s simple font is often accompanied by one of her own illustrations that influence the meaning of the poem. These illustrations, too, have become iconic.

I finally purchased her first book, milk and honey, but was initially disappointed. I thumbed through the pages and perused poems at random. Rupi Kaur’s style was not as sophisticated as I expected, and instead, the poems felt like I was reading Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul. I started thinking about the poems in conversation with each other, and that’s when I realized my mistake: I was reading this book all wrong.

Unlike many poetry books, which are typically a collection of the author’s works, milk and honey is a singular work. This book must be read in its entirety – otherwise you’ll miss the purpose of the book and possibly find yourself sinking into a depression.

Rupi Kaur’s milk and honey is a journey that tells a story through emotion, as explained on the last page of the book:

With this in mind, it feels only necessary to deem Rupi Kaur an artist, a wordsmith, a genius. Rupi Kaur turns complicated, raw human emotions into simple lines of poetry. Reading her poems is therapeutic, as though she has taken your tangled webs of thoughts and emotions and unraveled them to examine their makeup. Rupi Kaur turns on the light to show you that the monsters under your bed, the ones that are keeping you up at night, are not to be feared – and that they are under other people’s beds, too.

Rupi Kaur confronts femininity, sexism, and racism in her self-illustrated book of poems. From unwanted body hair to unwanted lovers, milk and honey deals with human emotion with grace and compassion.

When you read milk and honey, start with the dedication and don’t stop reading until you reach the very last page. The book only requires an hour or two to complete, and I promise that it is worth the time.

Rupi Kaur’s second poetry book, the sun and her flowers, is set to release on October 3^rd and is available to preorder on Amazon.

Eat: Worry-Free Mint Chocolate Fudge

Drink: Tea with milk & honey