Splendor In Me
Below is my modern take on my most favorite poem "Phenomenal Woman" by Maya Angelou from "And I Still Rise". Something that today's rebellious yet sensitive and unique woman may agree.
I will walk with my head high
Glare at you as you take a sigh
I am not what appeals your eyes
But I am what your ego denies
I'd tell you to come join the squad
But following me is not your fad
Honey,
It's the edge of my look
The breeze in my hair
The angle of my chin
The posture of my back
If it kills you honey don't be bamboozled
For it is a splendor and you can only wonder
You can't even wish to be me
I hit the club in the nth hour
As you sneak and smirk in the side
These men want to buy me a drink
While they speak and eyes devour
Yes love,
It's the mystery in my smile
A shimmery beam in my sight
The blaze from my eclectic style
The chill in my words that alight
If it kills you honey don't be bamboozled
For it is a splendor and you can only wonder
You can't even wish to be me
They complain they can't understand me
I tried to be coy and let them see
But none of them got to me
You see love,
It's the height in my stand
The meaning behind my lines
The independence in my actions
The strong hold in my emotions
If it kills you honey don't be bamboozled
For it is a splendor and you can only wonder
You can't even wish to be me
Now honey you know
I don't need a cover
I don't need to show you what I'm made of
Next time baby lose the snarl
Because darling,
It's in the waves of my curls
The stern steer of my tone
The class of my elegance
The seize in my very presence
If it kills you honey don't be bamboozled
For it is a splendor and you can only wonder
You can't even wish to be me
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,
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.