Woman Work

Woman Work is a poem written by Maya Angelou in 1994.
right from the start the poet focuses on women's role as mother and wife. She highlights the burden of duties under which women are soppressed.
In the first fourteen lines she lists all the women's works and duties, like tend their children, wash the floor, buy the food...
These lines rhyme aa bb cc dd ... after the list lines do not rhyme and the narration seems to be more calm and relaxed. Making a long list of all kind of works the poet wants to focus the reader's attention on women emotions: they are stressed, they have too much to do and they do not have time to enjoy.
In fact in this poem women are drawn like soldiers that are on a mission. They have no identify of their own.
Women need more time for themselves, they sometimes want to blow away and forget all their everyday problems.
They also need time to relax themselves, they would like to stop the time because they can not resist forever. The title woman work underlines women's duties.

Shine on me, sunshine
Rain on me, rain
Fall softly, dewdrops
And cool my brow again.

Storm, blow me from here
With your fiercest wind
Let me float across the sky
'Til I can rest again.

Fall gently, snowflakes
Cover me with white
Cold icy kisses and
Let me rest tonight.

Sun, rain, curving sky
Mountain, oceans, leaf and stone
Star shine, moon glow
You're all that I can call my own.