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The Complete Collected Poems QUOTES

The Complete Collected Poems QUOTES

1 " If one is lucky, a solitary fantasy can totally transform a million realities. "

― Maya Angelou , The Complete Collected Poems

2 " This bed yawns
beneath the weight
of our absent selves. "

― Maya Angelou , The Complete Collected Poems

3 " You saw me bludgeoned by circumstance.
Lost, injured, hurt by chance.
I screamed to the heavens....loudly screamed....
Trying to change our nightmares into dreams... "

― Maya Angelou , The Complete Collected Poems

4 " No,nobody but nobody can make it out her alone. "

― Maya Angelou , The Complete Collected Poems

5 " Sugar cane reach up to God
And every baby crying
Shame the blanket of my night
And all my days are dying "

― Maya Angelou , The Complete Collected Poems

6 " We are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike. "

― Maya Angelou , The Complete Collected Poems

7 " Soft you day, be velvet soft,
My true love approaches,
Look you bright, you dusty sun,
Array your golden coaches.

Soft you wind, be soft as silk
My true love is speaking.
Hold you birds, your silver throats,
His golden voice I'm seeking.

Come you death, in haste, do come
My shroud of black be weaving,
Quiet my heart, be deathly quiet,
My true love is leaving. "

― Maya Angelou , The Complete Collected Poems

8 " Caged Bird

A free bird leaps on the back of the wind
and floats downstream till the current ends
and dips his wing in the orange suns rays and dares to claim the sky.

But a bird that stalks down his narrow cage
can seldom see through his bars of rage
his wings are clipped and his feet are tied so he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings with a fearful trill
of things unknown but longed for still
and his tune is heard on the distant hill
for the caged bird sings of freedom.

The free bird thinks of another breeze
and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees
and the fat worms waiting on a dawn-bright lawn and he names the sky his own.

But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams
his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream
his wings are clipped and his feet are tied so he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings with a fearful trill
of things unknown but longed for still
and his tune is heard on the distant hill
for the caged bird sings of freedom. "

― Maya Angelou , The Complete Collected Poems

9 " I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees. "

― Maya Angelou , The Complete Collected Poems

10 " I am the dream and the hope of the slave. "

― Maya Angelou , The Complete Collected Poems

11 " Weeper “I hate to lose something,”  then she bent her head, “even a dime, I wish I was dead. I can't explain it. No more to be said. ‘Cept I hate to lose something. “I lost a doll once and cried for a week. She could open her eyes, and do all but speak. I believe she was took, by some doll-snatching sneak. I tell you, I hate to lose something. “A watch of mine once, got up and walked away. It had twelve numbers on it and for the time of day. I'll never forget it and all I can say Is I really hate to lose something. “Now if I felt that way ‘bout a watch and a toy, What you think I feel ‘bout my lover-boy? I ain't threatening you, madam, but he is my evening's joy. And I mean I really hate to lose something. "

― Maya Angelou , The Complete Collected Poems

12 " Teachers of my
early youth
Taught forgiveness
stressed the truth
Here then is my
Christian lack:
If I'm struck then
I'll strike back. "

― Maya Angelou , The Complete Collected Poems

13 " The race of man is suffering And I can hear the moan, ‘Cause nobody, But nobody Can make it out here alone. "

― Maya Angelou , The Complete Collected Poems

14 " If you have only one smile in you, give it to the people you love. "

― Maya Angelou , The Complete Collected Poems

15 " When I think about myself, I almost laugh myself to death, My life has been one great big joke, A dance that’s walked, A song that’s spoke, I laugh so hard I almost choke, When I think about myself. Sixty "

― Maya Angelou , The Complete Collected Poems

16 " Will I be less dead because I wrote this poem or you more because you read it long years hence. "

― Maya Angelou , The Complete Collected Poems

17 " Your voice at times a fist
Tight in your throat
Jabs ceaselessly at phantoms
In the room,
Your hand a carved and
Skimming boat
Goes down the Nile
To point out Pharaoh's tomb.
You're Africa to me
At brightest dawn.
The Congo's green and
Copper's brackish hue,
A continent to build
With Black Man's brawn.
I sit at home and see it all
Through you. "

― Maya Angelou , The Complete Collected Poems

18 " dreams are petted, like
cherished lap dogs
misunderstood and loved
too well "

― Maya Angelou , The Complete Collected Poems

19 " I met that lovely Detroit lady and thought my time had come But just before I said “I do” I said “I got to run” and started to Pickin em up and layin em down, Pickin em up and layin em down, Pickin em up and layin em down, gettin to the next town Baby. "

― Maya Angelou , The Complete Collected Poems

20 " On late evenings when
quiet inhabits my garden
when grass sleeps and
streets are only paths for silent mist

I seem to remember

Smiling. "

― Maya Angelou , The Complete Collected Poems