MAYA ANGELOU'S' Best Poem Ever!

[kate.com]

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...

 

Enough money within her control to move out

and rent a place of her own,

even if she never wants to or needs to...

something perfect to wear if the employer,

or date of her dreams wants to see her in an hour...

 

 

 

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ..

 

a youth she's content to leave behind....

a past juicy enough that she's looking forward to

retelling it in her old age....

a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra...

one friend who always makes her laugh... and one who lets her cry...

 

 

 

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ..

 

a good piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in her family...

eight matching plates, wine glasses with stems,

and a recipe for a meal,

that will make her guests feel honored...

 

 

 

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ..

 

a feeling of control over her destiny...

how to fall in love without losing herself...

 

 

 

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

 

how to quit a job,

break up with a lover,

and confront a friend without;

ruining the friendship....

 

 

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW....

 

when to try harder... and WHEN TO WALK AWAY...

 

 

 

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

 

that she can't change the length of her calves,

the width of her hips, or the nature of her parents..

that her childhood may not have been perfect...but it's over...

 

 

 

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

 

what she would and wouldn't do for love or more...

how to live alone... even if she doesn't like it...

 

 

 

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW.. .

 

whom she can trust,

whom she can't,

and why she shouldn't take it personally...

 

 

 

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

 

where to go.......

be it to her best friend's kitchen table..

or a charming Inn in the woods...

when her soul needs soothing...

 

 

 

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

 

What she can and can't accomplish in a day...

a month...and a year...

 

 

 

~ Love.

[Mischaka]

beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!!

[march132010]

That is great!!! Thanks for Posting

[carolina24]

that's great, I'm fowarding it to all the great women in my life. thanks!!

[Kelitaw]

that is a great one...another favorite of mine is Phenomenal Woman

 

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.

 

Maya Angelou

[mrs.timpone]

wow wow wow i am in tears right now! god my hormones are going crazy today!

 

Thank you for posting this ladies. I am going to print these out and hold on to them until I have a daughter. Very powerful.

[AishaB]

Deep! Can always rely on Maya to tell you!

[Sax Lady]

great poems. needed this before i start work.

[*Karla*]

Love Maya Angelou, thanks for posting these! I hadn't read them in a while.

[Birdie07]

Great poem but it was not written by Maya Angelou....

 

What Every Woman Should Have

 

Pamela Redmond Satran: I Wrote Maya Angelou's Best Poem Ever

 

I feel bad this woman doesn't get the credit. As an author I would be a little peeved too. Haha. Every time I get this in my inbox I reply to all and add the real story.