Rupi Kaur is a 25 year old Indian Canadian poet, writer, illustrator, and performer. She has written two books consisting of collections of her poetry and featuring her own illustrations. Throughout her young life Rupi Kaur has written countless poems that have been an inspiration to millions of women all over the world. She writes of love, culture, womanhood, and so much more. Here are a few of her thought provoking works…
"Of course I want to be successful
But I don't crave success for me
I need to be successful to gain
Enough milk and honey
To help those around
Me succeed"
"Like the rainbow
After the rain
Joy will reveal itself
After sorrow"
"Take the compliment
Do not shy away from
Another thing that belongs to you"
"You have so much
But are always hungry for more
Stop looking up at everything you don't have
And look around at everything you do"
"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 were 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.
Not because I don't think you're pretty.
But because you are so much more than that"
"We all move forward when
we recognize how resilient
And striking the women around us are"
"What's the greatest lesson a woman should learn?
That since day one she's already had everything
She needs within herself. It's the world that
Convinced her she did not"
"If you are broken
And they have left you
Do not question
Whether you were enough
The problem was
You were so enough
They were not able to carry it"
"What is stronger
Than the human heart
Which shatters over and over
And still lives"
"Apparently it is ungraceful of me
To mention my period in public
Cause the actual biology of my body is too real
Is it okay to sell what's
Between a woman's legs
More than it is okay to
Mention its inner workings
The recreational use of
This body is seen as
Beautiful while
Its nature is
Seen as ugly"
"Your art
Is not about how many people
Like your work
Your art
Is about
If your heart likes your work
If your soul likes your work
It's about how honest
you are with yourself
And you
Must never
Trade honesty
For relatability"
"When the world comes crashing at your feet
It's okay to let others
Help pick up the pieces
If we're present to take part in your happiness
When your circumstances are great
We are more than capable
Of sharing your pain"
"I can't wrap my head around the fact
That I have to convince half the world's population
My body is not their bed
I am busy learning the consequences
Of womanhood when I should be learning
Science and math instead
I like cartwheels and gymnastics so I can't imagine
Walking around with my thighs pressed together
Like they're hiding a secret
As if the acceptance of my own body parts
Will invite thoughts of lust in their heads"
"Now
Is not the time
To be quiet
Or make room for you
When we have had no room at all
Now
Is our time
To be mouthy
Get as loud as we need
To be heard"
"Representation
Is vital
Otherwise the butterfly
Surrounded by a group of moths
Unable to see itself
Will keep trying to become the moth"
"Look down at your body
Whisper
There is no home like you"
