Rupi Kaur is an award-winning Canadian poet and illustrator who has written several books. Some of her most prominent works include milk and honey, the sun and her flowers, and home body. Her poetry covers a wide range of topics, including mental health, feminist perspectives, her experience as an immigrant, and rape culture. Kaur’s work has inspired a lifelong love of poetry in me and provided a safe space in my darkest moments. Choosing a favourite piece would be impossible, but one poem that really stood out to me is “home”, which can be found in the book the sun and her flowers. This poem details a rape by a family friend and feeling like your body no longer belongs to you.
“ i asked where we were going
you asked if i was afraid
my voice threw itself over the edge of my throat
landed at the bottom of my belly and hid for months
all the different parts of me
turned the lights off
shut the blinds
locked the doors
while i hid at the back of some
upstairs closet of my mind…”
In this verse, Kaur describes the defence mechanism many survivors…
