Confident woman with natural hair in warm burgundy and gold tones, embodying the phenomenal strength and self-assurance celebrated in Maya Angelou's poem

Phenomenal Woman

by Maya Angelou

A celebration of inner strength, confidence, and the phenomenal nature of womanhood

I

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.

Expansive golden sky with dramatic clouds illuminated by warm sunlight, representing the transcendent and limitless nature of feminine empowerment
II

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.

Joyful woman with beautiful braids laughing with pure happiness, embodying the flash of teeth and joy in feet described in Maya Angelou's poem
III

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.

Graceful woman in yoga pose with celestial moon and constellation elements, embodying the phenomenal grace, style, and spiritual strength celebrated in Maya Angelou's poem
IV

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.

Beautiful butterfly representing love, transformation, and the phenomenal woman's journey of self-discovery and empowerment