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20 of Rupi Kaur’s Best Poems

By
Elle Kammerer
Rupi Kaur Top 20 Poems
Reading Time: < 1 minute

What do we want? Rupi Kaur poems! When do we want them? Now, please.

Rupi Kaur is known as one of the OG #instapoets. Everyone knows her name, even people who don’t follow her. But, she is still the same poet who found her squad on Instagram (we are still very much a member of that squad). In the world today, her bold, honest, and powerful messages are as important as ever.

Even though we see her poems are all over the internet, they still pack a punch. Some are like the emotional version of a hammer to the gut. And, sometimes, you just need a bit of that in your life.

We’ve collected 20 of our favorite Rupi Kaur poems. There are a few from both of her books (it was hard to narrow it down – we could have kept going). Each one inspires, empowers, and speaks to us.

Our favorites from Milk and Honey

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🌘🌗🌕🌓🌒 page 63 from #milkandhoney

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⚖️ #milkandhoney

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😛 page 61 #milkandhoney

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page 127 from #milkandhoney

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every women’s month i think about the work we can do to lift up the next generation. but i also think about the past generations of women who walked so that we could run. this year in particular in the wake of the pogroms in india where muslims were targeted and killed through systematic state abetted violence by mobs of right wing fundamentalists – i haven’t been able to get the ‘widow colony’ out of my mind. the widow colony is a place in new delhi that houses the sikh widows who survived the 1984 genocide of sikhs. these women are a symbol of resilience for me. they remind me that the work for justice. dignity. and freedom is still ongoing. when i think about what they along with countless other minorities are still enduring. it shows me that we have to keep speaking up. especially those of us in the diaspora who are protected by the citizenships we now carry. there’s lots of times when i feel down. when i feel like giving up on many aspects of life. but then i think of the sikh women before me. who contributed to my survival and progress- and i realize they put their lives on the line so i could live. which means giving up isn’t an option. we have so much work to do. books to write. stories to document. and generations of women to lift to the mountaintops.

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our voice is one of our greatest powers. but so many of us go through most of our lives without stepping into our voice. because somewhere along the journey of our life we were silenced. we were constantly told that we were wrong. not smart enough. ill-informed. that we lacked value. our voice was so shamed that this place of silence became our normal. our familiar place. and although now our circumstances may have changed. and we may not be around the people and situations that feared our voice. we still do. because we don’t know any other place to be. and carving out a new place is hard. we remain quiet because we haven’t given ourselves permission to burst open and let the world hear our song. so we have to speak up. be louder. we have to share our stories. even if it makes us uncomfortable. we have to pull each other up. create a new normal.

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when we’re down it’s really easy to forget that this phase is temporary. i’m the type of person who feels like my “down” will last forever. and my “up”. when i feel good and happy and joyous – will abandon me any second. (don’t worry i am actively working to undo this). today i wanted to share this piece because it’s what i am reminding myself of all the time. just to get through the day. the week. or the month. for personal reasons – this year has been a gutting one. so today i needed this. i never go back to read any of my poetry unless i’m on stage performing it. but recently i’ve been forcing myself to try. in hopes that it may inspire future writing for book 3. and as i sit at my desk reading these words i wrote years ago – i can’t help but laugh to myself. about how i knew a couple things back then – which i’ve clearly forgotten. we are never done doing the work are we? today i wanted to share a thought: that when you’re “down”. buckle up. get excited. cause being down only means that there’s an “up” just around the corner. 🎡 life is but a ferris wheel of up and down and around and around. and i love you alllllllllll ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️

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Our favorites from The Sun and Her Flowers

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🌱 page 186 from #thesunandherflowers

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in the midst of so many suicides that have taken place this year— i feel terrified. sometimes i myself feel so trapped in the dark it feels like the only way out is to end it all. i know that’s not the answer. i’m lucky that the other part of my mind— the one that feels like it still belongs to me. the part fighting the darkness wins and i find the motivation to walk out into the sun and try another day. 🌸 depression has its phases. this sickness is more difficult to understand & comprehend than any other experience i’ve had. 🌸 when you hear the news & you see musicians artists and folks you deeply admire take their own life — it leaves me speechless. i always feel 2 things: 1) if they with all their knowledge support & access to resources couldn't beat this thing- how the hell will i? & my next thought is — 2) we will get through this. we have to. i message my loved ones who are suffering from depression & other mental illness & tell them that we are in this lonely battle TOGETHER 🌸 today i feel broken but i feel hopeful. & i’m sharing these details because it breaks me how some of you feel so alone you want to leave. i don’t want any of you to feel stuck at the first feeling that i mentioned above. i do not want you all to think that depression is an end & that there’s no way out. that’s the sickness talking. IT IS NOT YOU. when you feel low & find it difficult to reach out because your mind says “no one cares or understands” or “i’m bothering folks” THAT IS THE SICKNESS TALKING. pick up the phone. call up your loved ones. we’re not going to get through this battle alone. it takes a village. we have to keep trying until we find solutions that work for us. (strict routine. drawing. exercise work for me) we as a society have the power to make things better or worse. even when it comes to this sickness. we have to hold ourselves accountable for how we treat people. how we have dialogue in public & private spaces & ask ourselves: could i have been kinder? & more supportive? & then be kinder. be more supportive. sending all my light to those who’ve lost loved ones to this disease 🌸 i love you. i love us. i love the potential of humanity.

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remindyourself 💅🏽 #thesunandherflowers

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byeeee 🙋🏽‍♀️ #thesunandherflowers

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🌱🌿🌱🌿🌱 page 215 #thesunandherflowers

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👭👭👭 page 228 from #thesunandherflowers

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✨💛✨💛✨

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i have this really bad habit of putting “living” off to somewhere in the near future. without being conscious of it i think things like “i’ll take a break once i do that” or “i’ll celebrate after i get that” or “right now i need to work my ass off as hard as i can so that one day i can finally sit back and go phew! i’ve done it! now i can finally relax!” i guess my question is: when does that “one day” come? when is enough enough? is the future a thing that actually arrives or is it a shadow that’s always running ahead of us. while we miss the only thing that actually exists: this moment. this very present living breathing moment right here. and no i don’t think we need to stop our hustle. i guess it just helps to recognize that we humans are insatiable creatures. always wanting more. even when our bellies are full. and there’s no more room in our bodies for more. even then our eyes are hungry for the next thing. and the next thing. and the thing after that. perhaps it’s putting life into perspective. asking ourselves if we’re enjoying the journeys we are on. teaching ourselves that perfection is not a destination. the future is not the destination. this. the everyday. is the only destination there is. the journey is all there is. and if we keep putting off living until tomorrow. well then – we will have never lived.

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Those are our top 20! We really could have kept going (let us know if you want us to.) What are some of your favorite Kaur poems? What would your top 10 or 20 list look like? Make sure to share your faves on Instagram with the LI squad.

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