Maya Angelou, A Phenomenal Woman

Maya Angelou was a true Renaissance woman: writer, singer, dancer, director, civil rights activist. But for me, she'll always be first and foremost a poet. A sample from one of my favorites:

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'll miss her grace, her joie de vivre, her laugh. And be thankful for the gifts she left behind.

***

Phenomenal Woman excerpt from: THE COMPLETE COLLECTED POEMS OF MAYA ANGELOU, Random House, 1st edition (September 13, 1994).