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.
Source documented
The opening stanza of Maya Angelou’s poem “Phenomenal Woman,” from And Still I Rise (1978), reproduced by the Poetry Foundation. These lines celebrate confidence, self-love and women’s empowerment, presenting beauty through individuality and self-acceptance. The Poetry Foundation