remember when you were sure
the last one was the one
and now here you are
redefining the one all over again.
Few writers capture the relatability of heartbreak quite like Canadian poet Rupi Kaur – one of the internet’s most recognisable literary voices that has shaped a generation’s relationship with love, loss, and self-worth.
Her debut collection, Milk and Honey, catapulted her into the spotlight over a decade ago after it was first published in 2014, transforming her from a poet best known for posts on Tumblr and Instagram to an international bestseller almost overnight. The book itself is split into four chapters, with each one dealing with a different form of emotional pain and how to survive it. After the success of her first collection, she published her second, The Sun and Her Flowers, in 2017, followed by Home Body in 2020 – which is about releasing herself from the constant strive for commercial success.
With 4.3 million Instagram followers – majority women – hanging on to every verse, Kaur’s poetry remains a modern-day balm for anyone wanting to heal. Likely thanks to her unique way of exploring the complexities of healing with raw simplicity: sometimes, in just a handful of words, she manages to describe the pain of losing someone you once thought was irreplaceable; or the dizzying realisation that what felt like would be forever was, in fact, just a flying visit.
Her ‘break-up poems’ from Milk and Honey are the very emotions shared in group chats, scribbled in journals and even, at times, tattooed on wrists. This week, as a guest contributor for Service95, Rupi has curated a selection of her favourites, listed below. As you read, you’ll notice that through her evocative writing, Rupi validates her readers, reminding us that heartbreak is never the end of the story – only the beginning of something new.
