Phenomenal Woman

Phenomenal [adjective]
1. highly exceptional or prodigious
2. you

When I first heard this poem recited by Alfre Woodard in the movie Beauty Shop, I immediately searched for the original work. After that first read ... I smiled, then sighed, then chuckled ... finally, I was overwhelmed with a sense of pride and deeper appreciation for womanhood.

Dr. Maya Angelou is a phenomenal woman. Her effortless writing style has liberated many women. In the telling of her truth she has given other women the strength to speak out about their experiences and to open up to the joys of femininity.

I have said several times that I am who I am today due to the countless women who have impacted my life. Dr. Angelou is one of those women. I hope that you too are inspired by this literary work, and that you embrace the phenomenal woman that you are.

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies

I'm not cute or built to suit a model's fashion 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.