Phenomenal Woman

Posted by May 14, 2019 Leave a Comment

Yesterday, I double-checked what all I needed to submit for my portfolio, and of course, I missed or overlooked that I needed to submit ten poems that I liked and the reasons why I liked them. Oh lord. This was separate from the ten poems that I wrote. I think reading “ten” blurred in my mind.

I found ten and I typed, copied and pasted all over the damn place. The whole thing ended up being 50 pages. Thank goodness we were submitting online.

Still, the last couple of days I have been able to sit down and read. I am 200 pages in on this book – feels so good to read.

Here is one of my all-time favorite poems; you can listen to Maya Angelou recite it below as well. I could truly listen to her voice all day.

May your hearts be full all day.

Maya Angelou

Phenomenal Woman

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I’m telling lies.
I say,
It’s in the reach of my arms,
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.
I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It’s the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.
Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can’t touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them,
They say they still can’t see.
I say,
It’s in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.
Now you understand
Just why my head’s not bowed.
I don’t shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing,
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It’s in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
the palm of my hand,
The need for my care.
’Cause I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.