Rupi Kaur made her debut with milk and honey, becoming a #1 New York Times bestselling author. Despite the fact her poetry was everywhere, I never read the book.
But this Christmas, my old roommate and best friend, Izzy, surprised me with a little gift. I immediately knew it would be a book when she handed me the wrapped rectangle.
Izzy knew once she read milk and honey how much I would enjoy Rupi Kaur's work. When I unwrapped this gift and saw her second collection of poetry, the sun and her flowers, I was elated.
I blazed through the collection in an hour, absorbed by the beauty and power of her words. Kaur's brilliant poems have a way of captivating every thought and evoking raw emotion from any reader.
So without any further ado, here are 10 quotes from the sun and her flowers to help you deal with any situation.
1. Dealing with loss
"it isn't what we left behind
that breaks me
it's what we could've built
had we stayed"
2. Struggling with jealousy
"learning to not envy
someone else's blessing
is what grace looks like"
3. Moving on from someone
"you ask
if we can still be friends
i explain how a honeybee
does not dream of kissing
the mouth of a flower
and then settle for its leaves
- i don't need more friends"
4. Holding onto anger
"wish pure love and soft peace
upon the ones
who've been unkind to you
and keep moving forward
- this will free you both"
5. Recognizing your own power
"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."
6. Feeling inferior to those around you
"i will no longer
compare my path to others
- i refuse to do a disservice to my life"
7. Being self-critical
"the universe took its time on you
crafted you to offer the world
something different from everyone else
when you doubt
how you were created
you doubt an energy greater than us both
irreplaceable"
8. Experiencing dissatisfaction with life
"when snow falls
i long for grass
when grass frows
i walk all over it
when leaves change color
i beg for flowers
when flowers bloom
i pick them
unappreciative"
9. Handling something coming to a close
"why is it
that when the story ends
we begin to feel all of it"
10. Making the most of things
"despite knowing
they won't be here for long
they still choose to live
their brightest lives
- sunflowers"
These simply deliberate words are profoundly powerful when you take a moment to think about what is being said. Kaur is wise beyond her years, and we all should take some time to appreciate her work. the sun and her flowers not only reignited my love for poetry, but it taught me how to take on this world with a greater sense of compassion for myself and for others.
