Emotions will eternally be difficult to express into a relatable, physical form, but Rupi Kaur does just that in Milk and Honey.

In October of 2015, Rupi Kaur published her collection of poetry which she titled Milk and Honey. She splits them into four chapters: the hurting, the loving, the breaking and the healing. Each relating to a different pain, a different growth.

No topic is left untouched, just as a collection of such raw emotion shouldn’t be. Love, sex, healing, depression…nothing is off limits. If Kaur has felt and experienced it, she has written about it and shared it in Milk and Honey. What we are afraid to speak of, she writes in ways that will make your chest heavy.

Milk and Honey bridges the gaps between us. What she describes is what everyone is capable of feeling and everyone will find themselves among her words, on at least one occasion.

It’s short. With only 204 pages of poetry, it certainly is a book that can be read in one sitting. I don’t recommend it though. It isn’t meant to be read quickly. Each line is meant to be read over and over. Each poem is meant to be read over and over. The pages are meant to be dog-eared and marked up as you read. The lines you love will be worth highlighting and underlining, even for those who conserve their books. Needless to say, your own copy is certainly necessary.

The speech is jarring. She knows just the right words to reach the deepest, lowest moments, as well as, the highest. It’s hard not to be uncomfortable through the first read, but that’s why this book is so extraordinary. Keep reading. Think about the words and what they make you feel. You know yourself better by the end. Your pain, your healing, your doubts, and fears. You know which pages you relate to the most and you’ll always remember those words and phrases. You’ll go back to them, memorize them, rewrite them. There’s no better way to reach yourself than to open up to the words you have been afraid of.

Besides the exhilarating poetry, the artwork featured on the pages is beautiful, as well. It’s simple line work, but it creates a thoughtful addition.

This basic art theme renders the simplicity of the aesthetic of the book, but the continuous lines add to the complexity that is human emotion. The lines overlap and sometimes the actual image is hard to distinguish, much like the turmoil that plagues the darkest parts of her writing.

Milk and Honey is a powerful read, one that everyone should undertake multiple times in their lives. The intimacy that Kaur describes with her most exhilarating moments, as well as, her most heart-wrenching moments, is one that everyone should certainly experience.

Do yourself a favor and get a hold of a copy as quickly as possible.