Rupi Kaur is a Canadian poet, writer, and illustrator. After her first book of poetry and prose, “Milk and Honey," sold over a million copies, she began writing another. “The Sun and Her Flowers” is Kaur’s second poetry book, and it’s even better than the first.
Her words are not only beautiful and powerful, but they are able to touch your heart in a special way that makes you want to keep reading. When I’m going through a difficult situation, I find it helpful to read poetry or quotes. Something about being able to relate to someone else’s words and knowing you’re not alone during a tough time is relieving.
Going through a tough time yourself? Or just love Rupi Kaur? Here is a poem for almost any situation you might be dealing with.
1. When you don't feel good enough
“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”
Just because someone walked out of your life doesn’t mean it’s your fault. Sometimes, people aren’t even able to deal with their own issues, let alone the issues of someone else. This does not mean that you weren’t good enough.
2. When you give your all but get nothing in return
“you treat them as if
they have a heart like yours
but not everyone can be
as soft and as tender as you
you don’t see
the person they are
you see the person
they have the potential to be
you give and give till
they have taken everything
out of you and leave
you empty”
It’s hard to remember not everyone is going to be as kind as you are. Not everyone is going to treat you the way you deserve to be treated. Protect your heart and remember that you are important, too.
3. When you’re being strong
“the world
gives you
so much pain
and here you are
making gold out of it”
Life is not always easy. It will kick you down time and time again, but it is so important to continue getting up. Take the pain the world is throwing at you and use it to make yourself strong.
4. When you’re falling for someone
“I know I
should crumble
for better reasons
but have you seen
that boy
he brings
the sun to
its knees
every night”
Falling for someone new is scary and unpredictable, but embrace the butterflies and excitement.
5. When it’s time to better yourself
“it was when I stopped searching for home within others
and lifted the foundations of home within myself
I found there were no roots more intimate
than those between a mind and body
that have decided to be whole”
The minute you realize the importance of finding happiness within yourself rather than in others is when you will be happy. There is no better relationship in your life than the relationship you have with yourself.
6. When you’re going through a breakup
“it isn’t what we left behind
that breaks me
it’s what we could’ve built
had we stayed”
Going through a breakup sucks – I’m not going to sugarcoat it. Although it hurts looking back at the memories you made with that person, thinking about the future you could have had together is even harder.
7. When the year is over
“it has been one of the greatest and most difficult years of my
life. I learned everything is temporary. moments. feelings.
people. flowers. i learned love is about giving. everything.
and letting it hurt. i learned vulnerability is always the right
choice because it is easy to be cold in a world that makes it
so very difficult to remain soft. i learned all things come in
twos. life and death. pain and joy. salt and sugar. me and
you. it is the balance of the universe. it has been the year of
hurting so bad but living so good. making friends out of
strangers. making strangers out of friends. learning mint
chocolate chip ice-cream will fix just about everything. and
for the pains it can’t there will always be my mother’s arms.
we must learn to focus on warm energy. always. soak our
limbs in it and become better loves to the world. for if we
can’t lean to be kinder to each other how will we ever learn
to be kinder to the most desperate parts of ourselves.”
Rupi speaks words of truth and words of wisdom.
Being able to relate your situation to someone else’s can make you feel less alone. Reading Rupi Kaur’s poems got me through some of my hardest times — and I hope it does the same for you. Until then, hang in there.
