Strong Women - Maya Angelou

The first time I noticed Maya Angelou is when she read her poem, On the Pulse of Morning, at President Bill Clinton's inauguration on January 20, 1993.  Since that time I have read several of her books and been struck by the fact that eventhough she had a rough early life, she was strong and rose above all the hurts and struggles.  She was a singer-dancer in New York City.  Her compassion and commitment lead her to respond to the fiery times by becoming the northern coordinator of Martin Luther King's history making quest.  Later, she became a professor at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

I definitely recommend getting to know Maya Angelou through her books and you will be touched by her strength.

One of her poems from Phenomenal Women

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 for my care.

'Cause I'm a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That's me.