good morning my ck friends,

i have decided to take a short break from my "poetry" blogging. i struggled the past couple of days to come up with something unique to write about. yesterday wasn't a home run, but i liked it. however, i don't want to try and force the words out every morning. one thing is a constant is that they do come from my heart and hopefully reflect the struggle we share in this weight loss battle. i promise i'll be back next week.

meanwhile, i had a successful weigh-in this morning. i am down another .5 pounds bringing my total weight loss to 16 pounds since i began my journey on april 15th, 2007. i am happy that the lemon cake wasn't able to ruin my entire week and i was able to get back on the horse immediately. i hope that there aren't any lemon cakes in your lives this weekend. if you come across any, just look 'em straight in the eye and say "you talkin' to me?" and then just walk away. proceed directly to the fruit bin and grab a peach!

i will leave you this morning with something written by one of my favorite writers, Maya Angelou. my words pale in comparison to the wisdom that flows from her pen. she is one of my inspirations when it comes to how i write. this piece is called "Phenomenal Woman." i am sure some of you have seen this already, but it is something i read over and over as a reminder to accept myself as i am and that my beauty is bountiful. that doesn't mean i shouldn't try to improve myself, i just have to be sure to love myself on the journey. fine words to live by and i hope you enjoy them too.

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