Phenomenal Woman by Maya Angelou

*My sister Lizz shared this poem with me last week and I loved it. I must be growing up because what I once thought was beautiful is morphing. Maybe that's my own middle-age justification coming through, but ... so what? It feels good to notice beautiful eyes on someone who is relatively average or note a nice shape even if it's not a size 2. It's nice to look in the mirror and not mind the imperfections that once made me crazy (now they only make me crazy half the time :-). I thought this poem summed up what really makes a woman wonderful--the last stanza (probably the wrong word) is my favorite and I believe as we embrace this kind of confidence, life just gets better. I know it's something I'm working on. Enjoy~!

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 of my care, 'Cause I'm a woman Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, That's me. Maya Angelou