love is not cruel
we are cruel
love is not a game
we have made a game
out of love

I can't believe it took me so long to finally read this poetry collection, after shivering over so much of Rupi's online poetry snippets over the years, but here we are, and it was... captivating? Painful? Beautiful? Perfect?

what i miss most is how you loved me. but what i didn't know was how you loved me had so much to do with the person i was. it was a reflection of everything i gave to you.

how cruel i was to myself. giving you credit for my warmth simply because you had felt it.

I feel that this is a poetry collection that will be different things for different people, but for me, it was a love story written for those of us who have survived abusive relationships, who have moved on and learned to love ourselves despite the lies we were fed. If you've ever left a toxic relationship, friendship, situation, whatever - do you remember the first time you realized things weren't your fault? How it felt like the first breath of air after far too long underwater? That's what this collection felt like for me. It reminded me of how far I've come, and how strong I really am.

the next time he
points out the
hair on your legs is
growing back remind
that boy your body
is not his home
he is a guest
warn him to
never outstep
his welcome
again

Even better, this collection is so shamelessly, wholly feminist in nature and I cannot imagine not feeling empowered by the words Rupi writes. She is so proud of her womanhood and it's a contagious feeling.

our backs
tell stories
no books have
the spine to
carry

- women of color

Finally, this poetry is an ode to people of color everywhere, and the ways their beauty, their experiences, and their livelihoods should not - and can not - ever be taken away by prejudices of an ugly, bleak world.

Content warnings: abuse, sexual assault, depression, loneliness.