Phenomenal Woman
By Maya Angelou
submitted by
Kira Dominguez, Orem , Utah

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 steps
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 of 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.

"A woman's place is in the House, and the Senate." -T-Shirt Slogan

"Dear Miss Manners, As a businessman, how do I allow a businesswoman to pay for my lunch?
Gentle Reader, With credit card or cash, as she prefers."
-Judith Martin, Miss Manners 1983

"I don't want to walk around with heels that are uncomfortable and skirts that are too tight and makeup that's hideous and cleavage sticking out..." -- Alanis Morissette

"For most of history, Anonymous was a woman." --Virginia Woolf

"One of the things about equality is not just that you be treated equally to a man, but that you treat yourself equally to the way you treat a man." --Marlo Thomas, American actress

"Men are taught to apologize for their weaknesses, women for their strengths." --Lois Wyse, American Advertising Executive

"Don't compromise yourself. You're all you've got." --Janis Joplin

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