I was recently introduced to the book Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur and ever since I picked it up, I have been mesmerized by the words. Rupi Kaur uses poetry to confront her pain head on, to promote self love and to give a voice to those who have none. Her book promotes feminist ideals, and is quite inspirational. As much as I love every word, some of the quotes really stuck out to me. Here is a list of what I feel are the most important poems by Rupi Kaur.

1. "every time you
tell your daughter
you yell at her
out of love
you teacher her to confuse
anger with kindness
which seems like a good idea
till she groups up to
trust men who hurt her
cause they look so much
like you"

- to fathers with daughters

2. "if
he can't help but
degrade other women
when they're not looking
if toxicity is central
to his language
he could hold you
in his lap and be soft
honey that man could feed you sugar and
douse you in rose water
but that still could not
make him sweet"

- if you want to know the type of man he is

3. "when you are broken
and he has left you
do not question
whether you were enough
the problem was you were so enough
he was not able to carry it"


4. "i had to leave
i was tired of allowing you to
make me feel
anything less
than whole"

5. "i was music
but you had your ears cut off"

6. "i am a museum full of art
but you had your eyes shut"

7. "you are in the habit
of co-depending
on people to
make up for what
you think you lack

who tricked you
into believing
another person
was meant to complete you
when the most they can do is complement"

8. "if you were born with
the weakness to fall
you were born with the strength to rise"

9. "it takes grace
to remain kind
in cruel situations"

10. "you tell me i am not like most girls
and learn to kiss me with your eyes closed
something about the phrase---something about
how i have to unlike the women
i call sisters in order to be wanted
makes me want to spit your tongue out
like i am supposed to be prod you picked me
as if i should be relieved you think
i am better than them"

11. "the next time he
points out the
hair on your legs is
growing back remind
that boy your body
is not his home
he is a guest
warn him to
never outstep
his welcome
again"

12. "accept yourself
as you were designed"

13. "you were a dragon long before
he came around and said
you could fly

you will remain a dragon
long after he's left"


14. "i want to apologize to all the women
i have called pretty
before i've called them intelligent or brave
i am sorry i made it sound as though
something as simple as what you're born with
is the most you have to be proud of when your
spirit has crushed mountains
from now on i will say things like
you are resilient or you are extraordinary
no because i don't think you're pretty
but because you are so much more than that"

15. "don't mistake
salt for sugar
if he wants to
be with you
he will
it's that simple"

16. "i didn't leave because
i stopped loving you
i left because the longer
i stayed the less
i loved myself"

17. "sex takes the consent of two
if one person is lying there not doing anything
cause they are not ready
or not in the mood
or simply don't want to
yet the other is having sex
with their body
it is rape"

18. "the rape will
tear you
in half

but it
will not
end you"