T-shirt: c/o Apartment 349 | Blazer: Marshalls (similar) | Skirt: Banana Republic (similar) | Shoes: Thrifted, BCBGeneration
Last month, I came across this Vivian and Clair t-shirt which inspired a post I wrote about how these fictional matriarchs impacted my life. A few days after the post, the designer reached out to me, told me how much she enjoyed what I had written (especially the Proverbs 31 passage that accompanied it), and sent me a shirt as a 'thank you'. I was so excited!
In light of recent events*, I thought it fitting to wear the shirt in today's post sharing what is arguably one of Maya Angelou's most popular poems, a piece that I think further describes the vibe Vivian Banks and Clair Huxtable both evoked on their respective television sitcoms. Enjoy.
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 for my care.
’Cause I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.
*R.I.P. Maya Angelou
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