Maya Angelou – A Phenomenal Woman - The Sauce
Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Lifestyle

Maya Angelou – A Phenomenal Woman

Maya

One of the most influential black voices in the world, Marguerite Ann Angelou (nee Johnson) commonly known as Maya Angelou, passed away on 28th May 2014. The world mourns this icon and celebrates her string of achievements, which include working with both Malcom X and Dr Martin Luther King Jr before their assassinations in the fight for black American civil rights for most of her 86 year long life.

Born in 1928, she overcame hardships such as childhood molestation and abuse to emerge as one of the strongest voices with great impact on the day to day lives of people from across many generations. One of her greatest strides against racism was the fact that hers was the first African American script that was written by a woman to be filmed, and was later nominated for a Pulitzer prize.

She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Arts in 2000, the Lincoln Medal in 2008, and has received 3 Grammy Awards. She has published seven autobiographies, over 50 poems, books and short stories on themes such as racism, identity, family, and travel. Here is one of her most recognizable poems, written to inspire women across the world regardless of age or race. Enjoy!

 

Phenomenal Woman, by Maya Angelou.

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,

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

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,

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

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.

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

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,

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

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.

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

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.

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

 

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,

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

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.

 

 

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

From And Still I Rise. Copyright © 1978 by Maya Angelou.

Source: The Complete Collected Poems of Maya Angelou (Random House Inc., 1994)

 

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Some More Sauce...

Entertainment

News of the arrest of popular disc jockey Joe Mfalme in connection with the fatal assault of a senior police officer has taken the...

Entertainment

It is the eve of a new tiding for Director Trevor, as he gets hot in the heels spearheading his now rebranded news channel,...

Da Squeeze

Is there possibly one thing that Lisa Christoffersen cannot do? Seems unlikely. Having defied odds and beat stage 4 cancer 18 years ago, her...

Da Squeeze

Kenyan rap bigwig Khaligraph Jones is utterly disappointed after his much-hyped Instagram Live session with American rap star Rick Ross failed to happen. The...

Entertainment

Wizkid has requested people stop referring to him as an Afrobeats artist. The Nigerian singer – whose real name is Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun –...

Da Squeeze

The devil works hard, but Brian Chira’s friends, acquaintances and fans work harder! Within hours of launching, the departed TikToker’s funeral fundraiser has amassed...

Entertainment

Shakira thinks she “probably” won’t find love like she had with Gerard Piqué again. The 47-year-old singer split from the former soccer star –...

Entertainment

Catherine, Princess of Wales has announced she is undergoing “preventative” chemotherapy for cancer. The 42-year-old royal – who is married to Prince William and...