WORDS OF WISDOM
Excerpt from Maya Angelou's
"Phenomenal Woman"
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 BREAST,
THE GRACE OF MY STYLE.
I'M A WOMAN
PHENOMENALLY.
PHENOMENAL WOMAN,
THAT'S ME.
NOW YOU UNDERSTAND
JUST WHY MY HEADS 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.
---MAYA ANGELOU POEMS BANTAM BOOKS NEW YORK 1986