Hey, what’s up?

Who’s here a fan of poetry? Or at least, someone who accidentally became one? I’m back with another poetry book review, and this time it’s Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur. According to Wikipedia (our trusty source for everything, including things we’re too lazy to look up properly), Rupi is a Canadian poet who first became famous on Instagram. Yes, Instagram. Proof that you can scroll mindlessly and accidentally stumble upon art.

She’s written a few poetry books, and Milk and Honey is one of them. Now, let me tell you something—when I bought this book, I didn’t bother checking Google reviews or asking for recommendations. Nope, I bought it because the cover looked nice and simple. Judge a book by its cover? Absolutely, every time.

So, I went home, ready to dive into this Instagram-famous poetry collection, and… gosh, I couldn’t even relate to it. At all. I was sitting there with the book open, thinking, “Why does this feel like reading someone else’s diary?”

The book is divided into four chapters: The Hurting, The Loving, The Breaking, and The Healing. The first chapter dives straight into the deep end, focusing on the author’s (or possibly a fictional character’s—let’s not assume) experience with sexual abuse. Heavy stuff. Then comes The Loving, which is about falling in love—sweet, but you just know it’s not going to end well. Enter The Breaking, where all that love shatters into a million pieces, leaving you wondering why we even bother with relationships. Finally, there’s The Healing, where she begins to mend from all the trauma. It’s like a poetic emotional boot camp: tough, but you come out stronger (or at least, that’s the goal).

I’d rate this book a solid 3/10. And before you come for me, hear me out! I feel like Milk and Honey is a book that women would probably enjoy more—sorry, not trying to be sexist, I promise! Hahaha. But seriously, I think most guys reading this would probably feel the same. Some of the content is a bit 18+, and while I’m well past 18 (promise!), I’m not really into reading, well… those kinds of things. Yep, certified nerd here.

That said, the last chapter, The Healing, had a few poems that I actually liked. They were thoughtful, even uplifting. Plus, I can see how this book might really help people who’ve experienced childhood trauma—it’s raw and emotional in a way that could be therapeutic for someone going through their own healing process. So while it wasn’t my cup of tea, I think it could be a lifeline for others.

Alright, I know my book review still isn’t perfect—HA! Maybe it’s poetic in progress? I’m still working on improving my book review content, but hey, we all have to start somewhere, right? Anyway, despite my mixed feelings about Milk and Honey, I wanted to share a few poems from the book that stood out to me. Maybe you’ll find them as intriguing as I did—or maybe you’ll just stare at them like, “What is this?” Either way, hope you guys enjoy them!

we’re like fingers on thorns honey. we know exactly where it hurts.

I am water
soft enough
to offer life
tough enough
to drown it away

the thing worth holding on to would not have let go

do not bother holding on to
that thing that does not want you

– you cannot make it stay

you must enter a relationship
with yourself
before anyone else

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

My favourite poems in the book are on pages 160, 161, 189, and 196. Want to know what they are? Well, you’ll have to buy the book to find out! Or, if you’re feeling sneaky, just pop into a Waterstones, casually flip to those pages, and pretend you’re just browsing. HAHAHA!

Alright, that’s all from me for now. I hope you enjoyed this chaotic little book review, and maybe it inspired you to give Milk and Honey a try—or at least have a laugh. See you in the next post!