rupi kaur has touched the minds and souls of many readers in the beautiful expression of modern poetry titled milk and honey. This article, however, is not about what you already know, but rather what you don’t know yet. milk and honey is comprised of the hurting, the loving, the breaking, and the healing. Anyone (I mean, everyone) who has dealt with any kind of pain or grieving is likely able to relate to at least one page of this book. Since there are many other places for you to find out more about milk and honey, I am more interested in recommending a similar book called BitterSweet.
A close friend, who comes to me when they need someone to listen, and listens to me when I need someone, recommended BitterSweet to me. We mutually found a certain degree of comfort in milk in honey; it is a sweet reminder that just because you cannot see others in darkness, it does not mean that you are alone. m.e. young expresses the heartbreaking romance of hurt, loss, and empowerment through her poetic words.
BitterSweet is both disheartening and uplifting, as readers are taken through an emotional journey of falling, crashing, and rising in love. BitterSweet, for me, was a powerful reminder to always mind my worth and know that no one else can devalue me without my consent. A favourite poem of mine, one that I make sure to look at every day, reads:
“VIII
You are gold my dear,
It’s not your fault he prefers silver”
I’m sure if you’ve taken the time out of your chaotic schedule to read this far into this article, something about it must have intrigued you from the start. I’m guessing it could be that a certain name comes to mind when you read the word him, or because you feel a void that it doesn’t. BitterSweet told me that there is power in independence and just because you don’t get a sweet text every morning or have a date to Ethel’s every Tuesday, does not by any means mean that you’re not worth loving. An excerpt from milk and honey teaches that
“how you love yourself is
how you teach others
to love you”
which to me is one of the most important lessons I’ve learned thus far in my three year university career.
It took me 45 minutes on a pretty average Wednesday night (except for those of you who were at Phil’s) to read BitterSweet from cover to cover. If some parts of milk and honey seem beyond your experience, I recommend BitterSweet because everyone needs a little reminder that they are both significant and beautiful (especially during midterm szn).
To cop a copy of BitterSweet visit http://www.blurb.ca/b/7674253-bittersweet and order online for the low low price of $19.99… just kidding it’s actually $19.82 but that’s not as fun to rhyme. Enjoy!