Pllenom enal Woman by Maya Angelou I Poetry FoundaUon

POETRY FOUNDATION

Phenomenal Woman
7
BY MAYA ANGELOU 1.
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Pretty wo men wonder where my secret lies.,.,

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I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size - J0 c, ~'..\- .\- SDG,\e, {.'-€-S 5\unJMk ,.[--he":})
Bue when I scare co cell chem,
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They chink I'm celling lies. - Uv1 \::i Q.,e_ ""' l(_
I say,
It's in the reach of my arms, h
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The span of my hips, C\cc'/>_ ( 'j Il\f"' r \VI \ t
The stride of my seep, '\(\VJ 1 \ <, \J J
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The curl of my lips.
I'm a woman
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Phenomenally. -(juO<
Phenomenal woman,
T hat's me. \li.C !"'ocV1,.,
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I walk into a room , ,_p_
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Just as cool as you please, _., J
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And co a man, (\ i,((1
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The fellows stand or ,.,-,, C ,, /o.,._,• h. '1.v"

Fall down on their knees. , \11.Je,u >I\Vil, >'
Then they swarm around me, ] f(I\ \J\~•cs , d--"

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A hive of honey bees.
I say, 8 &f"CQ 1r,{:_,,'-"/\--\
Ir's che fire in my eyes, Jfls GfVl')--'!---'S (,Dn "rJ _,)
And che flash of my ~eeth, I,'-(\-- v (;---1.,v"'---"' 1 Q .J
The swing in my waist,
And che joy in my feet.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally. _/'"' f1( P°S( hA~ij'};ltl--~\1,,
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

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Phenomenal Woman by Maya Ang elou I Poetry Foundation
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, .;.;4 '· · ., ,.• msclves have wondered

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1, •· 1• •.. f :1 ly• cry somuch ~ r e- + ·o \,~ 1...-, / n c \/1 1 ( \ C(,-, I

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·;.\''I. Bue chey cant couch _
r,•;i' :,, MY inner mystery. - 1-I•[£»- '--'· ;::, 1 J_c:)Y'\ ' }--~1 w v '--' ... J-.. ::;;
When I try to show them,

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They say they still can't see.
I say,
It's in the arch of my back,
The s~n of my smile, VJ'l li':J' r;.. '- .., ,._,,v ...t "" 1 ,:, e. _ ] ; .(--{-
The nde of my breasts, < .,
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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. L , '1 1?.---J-- ft2$/1 e..o1i
I don't shout or jump about I Df\ I\- V\&-~ +u
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Or have to talk real loud. _,, °'
When you see me passing,
It ought to make you proud. _
I say, v,£-1½ (<,(,In';h', v--t.,
It's in the click of my heeJ s, v
The bend of my hair,
the palm of my hand,
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The need for my care. I A7uc,D
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'Cause I'm a woman 1 _. ;'-

Phenomen;tll . ~fr1j <v e,u D ihe V7
Phenomenal woman, i:;;: v(v&---\l<\~ fu k _ f .1)
That's me.

Maya Angelou, "Phenomenal Woman" from And Still I Rise. Copyright© 1978 by Maya Angelou. Used by
permission of Random House, an imprint and division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved.

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

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