If the name Rupi Kaur doesn’t ring a bell for you, her controversial Instagram post back in 2015 definitely will. The picture she posted was of herself lying in bed with sweatpants on that had a period stain on them and it went viral. It caused so much controversy that Instagram decided to remove the picture. She posted it again and Instagram removed it again. Kaur’s post was part of a project for one of her classes to observe how people react to art in different settings.
After posting on Facebook about the removal, Instagram put out an official statement saying that the removal of the picture was just “an accident” and put the picture back up.
Not only has she brought attention to how much censorship is placed around talking about menstruation but Kaur has also graced the world with one of the most powerful and moving collections of poetry that is out today. Milk and Honey, her debut book and a #1 New York Times Bestseller, is about the growth of a woman. The book has four chapters of poems and drawings, each serving the purpose of dealing with a certain type of pain.
A lot of the poems are about loss, grief and trauma but they also touch upon the ability to grow from pain and how important it is to rally together as women. Read these few excerpts to remind yourself how incredible it is to be a woman and how great sisterhood is.
1. On not being like most girls
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2. Girl Power
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3. We are more than beauty
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4. Always speak your mind
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5. You are enough
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