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... A Little bit Louder and a Little Bit Verse

© Karen Kanter

You may not know it, but April is National Poetry Month in the U.S. Since I am a poet, I thought I would share a few of my relevant pieces, along with one of the best size acceptance poems ever written.

Phenomenal Woman

from Phenomenal Woman:Four Poems Celebrating Women by Maya Angelou (February 1995) Random House; Pretty women often 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 Im telling lies.
I say,
It's in the reach of my arm,
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 of 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.

Here are two of my own poems:

Ben and Jerry's Rocky Road

Ben liked his women fit
to society's standards.
He liked to be seen
on the arm of a beauty queen
didn't much care
for their brains
he fed them lean cuisine
and scant excuses
his girlfriends did not snack well
nor did they make healthy choices.

Jerry liked his women
the way he liked his ice cream
smooth and creamy
delectable
he knew that the tastiest morsels
often had a little extra fat
and it was O.K. to indulge
once in a while.
He went for softness
roundness
and good mouthfeel;
which might mean
they'd never be supermodels
shooting up or
throwing up
growing old and
going under
the knife
to preserve the illusion
but always meant
real.

To Have and Have Not

Once it was a sin
to go hungry.
The ruling class lived fat
and showed it.

Now it is a sin
to be hungry
one should be content
to have not.

This is what I won't have:
I won't have men call me

Cookie,
Sweetie,
Honey,
Sugar,
Cupcake,
Dumpling.

because I dare
to accept myself
as someone who might eat

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