Deep

Both completely different, but powerful and compelling in their very own way. Damn, I wish I could write poetry like that. Simply Beeeaaautiful.

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 of 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.

My modern-day bible.

"Truth be told, I have never seen “bitch” as a bad word. Instead, I see the word for what it is: a reflection of people’s lack of creativity and inability to acknowledge and embrace a powerful woman.”

When people think Kelly Cutrone, they think "bitch". (After all, that is how she is often portrayed.) But she is anything but that. She is just raw and downright real. Kelly Cutrone offers some true words of wisdom and advice in her new book, "If You Have to Cry, Go Outside." It's truly the modern-day bible. I only have three words: Read this book!

"This is an important lesson to remember when you’re having a bad day, a bad month, or a shitty year. Things will change: you won’t feel this way forever. And anyway, sometimes the hardest lessons to learn are the ones your soul needs most. I believe you can’t feel real joy unless you know what it means to fail. You can’t know what it’s like to feel holy until you know what it’s like to feel really fucking evil. And you can’t be birthed again until you’ve died."

"I was reminded of the Peggy Lee song "Is That All There Is?" was life just a mating game where we're out there looking for a partner and then we have 2.5 kids and, if we're lucky, save over 250,000 for retirement and grow older and either get taken care of by our kids or end up in a nursing home and die? It seemed like we were all just chasing our tails: waking up, going to work, fucking, fighting, loving, saying we're sorry over and over and over again. What are we doing here? And who am I? What is important to me, and who and what am I serving?"

"There can be a fine line between being courageous in following your dreams and being self-destructive in the service of ego, greed, and approval. But then, my mother never told me that if I did everything I was programmed to do and chased all the things I was supposed to chase-and wear, and be without ever developing a true and unshakable sense of self, I'd crash into a million pieces one day when something went wrong."

A Woman Should Have...by Maya Angelou

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.
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...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 WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...a past juicy enough that she's looking forward to retelling it in her old age.
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra.
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...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.
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...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.
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...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.
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...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.
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW....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.

Looking for Alaska

Such a simple book I first read many years ago, but it's still a good read and one of my all-time favorites. Gives you something to think about.

DEEP

Maya Angelou's interview with Oprah on growing older...

When I was in my younger days,
I weighed a few pounds less,
I needn’t hold my tummy in
to wear a belted dress.
But now that I am older, I’ve set my body free;
There’s comfort of elastic
Where once my waist would be.
Inventor of those high-heeled shoes —
My feet have not forgiven;
I have to wear a nine now,
But used to wear a seven.
And how about those pantyhose —
They’re sized by weight, you see.

So how come when I put them on —
The crotch is at my knee?
I need to wear these glasses
As the print’s been getting smaller;
And it wasn’t very long ago
I know that I was taller.
Though my hair has turned to gray
and my skin no longer fits
On the inside, I’m the same old me,
It’s the outside that’s changed a bit.

But, on a positive note…
I’ve learned that no matter what happens,
or how bad it seems today,
life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.
I’ve learned that you can tell a lot about a person
by the way he/she handles these three things:
a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.

I’ve learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents,
you’ll miss them when they’re gone from your life.
I’ve learned that making a "living"
is not the same thing as making a "life."

I’ve learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance.
I’ve learned that you shouldn’t go through life with a catcher’s mitt on both hands.
You need to be able to throw something back.
I’ve learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart,
I usually make the right decision.
I’ve learned that even when I have pains, I don’t have to be one.
I’ve learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone.
People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back.
I’ve learned that I still have a lot to learn.
I’ve learned that people will forget what you said,
people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.

***
Maya Angelou really is a marvel. There is no doubt in my mind that she is one of my favorite writers. She's such a simple and honest woman with so much wisdom in her words. Truly inspirational...and still going strong at 81!