National Poetry Day, remember? Remember! Maya Angelou

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Today is National Poetry Day, 

the theme for 2014 is 'remember'.

In the spirit of National Poetry Day, I pay tribute to  Maya Angelou, a legendary poet who blessed us with her life.  Maya Angelou's death at the age of  86 on 28th May, 2014 deprives the world of not just a great poet but a woman who was also a civil rights activist, film producer, television producer, playwright, film director, author, actress and professor.

Image from 20 Beautiful Maya Angelou Picture Quotes

Think of a poem:

Thinking of Maya Angelou's poems, two came easily and immediately to mind:

Still I Rise

Phenomenal Woman

Below you will find a link to the preview of a new lyrical poem of Still I Rise:

Still I Rise Exclusive Premiere

Phenomenal Woman has stayed with me ever since I discovered it and shared it at a creative writing class in the 1990s.  Both Still I Rise and Phenomenal Woman are timeless poems for all of us who appreciate the written word.  But more than that it reminds all woman and men how great women are!

Phenomenal Woman

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 of my care,
'Cause I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

By Maya Angelou

Who will you remember on National Poetry Day?

Remembering Maya Angelou: Bill Clinton, Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey Pay
Tribute to Legendary Poet

View Full Bio

More on National Poetry Day

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