Poems on Maya Angelou by Top Critiquers

I was conceived by a bloodline  
 of warriors:  Jew and Cherokee;    
I'm certain if we draw deep    
  there is also African American    
   
Thus, "abandon" is not a word    
existing in my ancestry—    
  neither does "quit"    
    though definition appears equal    
   
Maybe they are, technically    
  according to the dictionary—    
but, one slices more personally  
  as part of our humanity    
   
I am no quitter despite suffering    
  having swallowed the streets;      
I never...

As I coast down the road,
The temperature says it's 102 degrees outside,
Blasting my music and the A.C.,
It's a nice drive.

But then I notice the fields,
They're out there picking grapes,
In the blistering heat.

I look in the mirror,
At my brown face,
Thinking I was given the opportunity
to get an education,
to find a comfortable life,
Yet those migrant workers
Out there earning a living
Must have dreams and aspirations of their own,
To give their daughters and sons a chance.

And...

Art is about building a new foundation, not just laying something on top of what's already there.
Prince

We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated.
Maya Angelou

I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies; for the hardest victory is over self.
Aristotle

Try to be a rainbow in someone's cloud.
Maya Angelou

The minute I heard my first love story, I started looking for you, not knowing how blind that was. Lovers don't finally meet somewhere. They're in each other all along. ...