Milk and Honey

by Rupi Kaur

a daughter should not have to beg her father for a relationship

trying to convince myself i am allowed to take up space is like writing with my left hand when i was born to use my right

you were so distant i forgot you were there at all

you whisper i love you what you mean is i don’t want you to leave

i don’t know what living a balanced life feels like when i am sad i don’t cry i pour when i am happy i don’t smile i glow when i am angry i don’t yell i burn the good thing about feeling in extremes is when i love i give them wings but perhaps that isn’t such a good thing cause they always tend to leave and you should see me when my heart is broken i don’t grieve i shatter

i am water soft enough to offer life tough enough to drown it away

apparently it is ungraceful of me to mention my period in public cause the actual biology of my body is too real it is okay to sell what’s between a woman’s legs more than it is okay to mention its inner workings the recreational use of this body is seen as beautiful while its nature is seen as ugly