Female

31

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








I am a fully three-dimensional woman who's various interests reflect complexity of my nature. I'm a bellydancer, an unrepentant sacred whore and sensualist, a woman of African and Native American descent, a femme dyke, and a proudly curvy fat chick. I'm experiencing the joys of growing into my identities as a lovingly sadistic top and a loving, devoted, complex, and sometimes angry bottom.


Many of the communities that I'm immersed in believe that admitting enjoyment of one's sensuality is a detriment to their cause, but I couldn't disagree more. To enjoy art, to feel anger over injustice, or to just simply be yourself, is to enjoy life and the passion, pain, and pleasures it brings to your senses without restraint, reservations, or regrets.


Bellydancing is one of the main driving forces behind my continual growth as a woman who's centered spirtually, sensually, mentally, and physically. Not all the lessons I learn from this dance are pleasant and uplifting, but they all help make me a stronger woman who enjoys the delicious and decadent taste of life. My muses are Maya Angelou, Oshun, Alice Walker, Ella Fitzgerald, and Fifi Abdo as their artistic expression reflects the beauty found in the darkness of my skin, the darkness of my nature, and the darkness of my strength.