It seems as though reading for fun has become obsolete these days. There are a select few out there who still find joy in a good book—my heart goes out to you—they enjoy the smell of the pages, being able to dog ear your page, letting the bind crease in way that makes it yours. My readers, you understand the feels a loved book gives you.

Recently, poets have become popular within the literary circulation. Poetry used to be almost a bore to some, the language as well as the topics were outdated. But that has all changed, thank you to these three contemporary poets: Rupi Kaur, Lang Leav and r.h. Sin, whose works have spoken to so many of us. Why, you wonder? Because their works have a common theme: heartbreak. As we all know, misery loves company.

As I read these books, I realized why I fell in love with the poets but more importantly, their words. These authors, so heavily gifted, were able to put down on paper the way I felt in my weaker moments. Yes, I was upset and heartbroken but I could never find the right words to explain what exactly I felt. I know that to some of my friends I just sounded like a broken record. Then come in these wonderfully sculpted verses; it was as though they were letting me know I wasn’t alone in my heartbreak and of course, the entirety of their books are not all on heartbreak, they have uplifting and romantic verses too. I think those are for us to see the light at the end of the tunnel, no matter how long or dark our personal tunnel may be.

Here, I’ve chosen a few of my favorites to sample, from all three authors just to give you a little taste of their magic.

Rupi Kaur, "milk and honey"

Kaur’s work was actually the first of the three poets I familiarized myself with, she breaks her book up into four chapters—the hurting, the loving, the breaking and the healing, wherein some of her poems are titled and others are without titles. She broke me into a million pieces writing down what I have felt once before and I fell head over heels, in love.

“…you are every hope i’ve ever had in human form”

“your name is the strongest positive and negative connotation in any language/ it either lights me up or leaves me aching for days”

“i am hopelessly a lover and a dreamer and that will be the death of me”

“when mother says i deserve better/ i snap to your defense out of habit”

“the next time you have your coffee black/ you’ll taste the bitter state he left you in/ it will make you weep but you’ll never stop drinking/ you’d rather have the darkest parts of him than have nothing”

“…do you know how limiting that is. to think at such a ripe young age i’d experienced the most exhilarating person i’d ever meet.” -falsehood

“i dont know what living a balanced life feels like/ when i am sad i don't cry i pour/ when i am happy i don't smile i glow/ when i am angry i don't yell i burn”

“…if you walked into the room this very second every awful thing you've ever done would be tossed out the closest window and all the love would rise up again.”

“he isn't coming back whispered my head/ he has to sobbed my heart” -wilting

“i don’t want to be friends/ i want all of you” -more

“even when they know they will hurt you they will walk into your life to taste you because you are the type of being they don't want to miss out on… but this isn't romantic, it isn't sweet…”

Lang Leav, "Love & Misadventure"

Leav is another contemporary poet who I discovered only after enjoying Kaur’s work and let me tell you, I’m happy I kept on with these poetry novels. Leav’s poems have a whimsical feel to them and I ate up every ounce of them.

“I know that you don't owe me, and I shouldn't ask for more; I shouldn't feel so let down. all the times when you don't call.” -Just Friends

“You will find him in my highs and lows; in my mind, he’ll to and fro.”
-A Rollercoaster

“He makes me blush! He makes me want to brush and floss.”
-His Cause and Effect

“To never do the things I’ve done that once had led to my undoing.”
-Afraid to Love

“The briefest moment shared with you— the longest on my mind.”
-A Timeline

“I thought you were a keeper, I wish I could have kept you.” -The Keeper

“When winter came with all its white, you were mine to kiss goodnight.”
-A Fairy Tale

“I was yours before I knew, and you have always been mine too.” -Always

“The time may not be prime for us, though you are a special person.”
-Some Time Out

“Without meaning to, he’s disarmed me, with kisses that soothe and alarm me.” -The Fear of Losing You

r.h. Sin, "Whiskey, Words, and A Shovel"

Last, but certainly not least. I was absolutely enamored with his work because he gives a different outlook on his poems. They are rash and firm but still romantic and not to be too sexist, but I have to believe it’s because he is in fact, a man. It was a nice change after the first two authors to see how men see love and lust and how he writes about it so fluidly.

“Memories are silent killers the way they creep up unannounced… knowing damn well they intend to do harm…” -1 a.m. restless

“…you only reappear when you fear you've been replaced…”
-past and present

“The only downfall to having a good heart is that you’re constantly looking for angels inside of demons” -a good heart

“Stop losing sleep over someone who can’t even find time to consider you. Take your ass to sleep, he doesn't deserve your thoughts tonight.” -restless

“There’s something sad about the fact that he only reaches out to you late into the evening secretly admitting that he could care less about you during the daylight…” -the last resort

“You were only meant to be temporary. I wish I knew that before I spoke you into my future.” -temporary

“We could have been great but you insisted on us being mediocre…so I chose myself; I deserved more.” -limited

“…You wouldn't let go, so I let go for us, for you.” -choices

“…Things are different now. While they're letting go, you still want to try and that’s what hurts.” -what hurts

And those are just a few pieces of my favorites. All of these books are amazing reads, I encourage you all to get your own copies to fall so helplessly in love with them, as I did. They will break you and put you back together in the same read. I have attached the links to the authors just to make the purchase a little easier… happy reading!

Rupi Kaur's "milk and honey"

Lang Leav's "Love & Misadventure"

r.h. Sin's "Whiskey, Words, and a Shovel"