“The world gives you so much pain and here you are making gold out of it – there is nothing purer than that” ― Rupi Kaur

We may still be on “shelter at home” restrictions, but reading about Rupi Kaur’s The Sun and Her Flowers could make life brighter. Kaur is an Indian-born Canadian poet and author and illustrator. Her early fame started when she had uploaded her short visual poetry on Instagram and Tumbler. This particular collection of poems is a sequel to Milk and Honey. It was published on October 3, 2017.

The Sun and Her Flowers is a collection of poetry that is about grief, self-abandonment, honoring one’s roots, love, and empowering oneself. It’s a romantic genre and is like a recipe for life. “Flipping through the pages of The Sun and Her Flowers with a cynical and distrusting eye is easy until one simple line really resonates. This leaves readers feeling as though Kaur has gone deep into the depths of their personal lives and put all the heart-wrenching feelings they once felt down on paper,” reads a review from Daily Emerald. As a reader, I really enjoyed this book a lot.

These poems are aesthetically pleasing. You could read one poem before you go bed, during lunch, before school or anytime. These types of poems can be read over and over again without getting bored. You do it to consume and understand its meaning. There are five chapters in the book and many illustrations, although there is some inappropriate content and some mothers who reviewed it were not happy about some of the content. Despite the content, I rate the book a 4.9/5. It is available at many bookstores (online and brick and mortar) for $16.99, but it is also available at The Armijo High School library.My favorite poem from the book is this one:

Representation

Is vital

Otherwise the butterfly

Surrounded by a group of moths

Unable to see itself

Will keep trying to become the moth