Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size.
The speaker begins the poem by stating that other women look at her curiously and wonder about her appeal. They feel there must be some secret to the speaker’s allure, and they cannot understand what it is. The speaker elaborates that this curiosity stems from the fact that she does not fit the stereotype of a beautiful woman. She is not “cute,” and her physique does not resemble the size of a typical fashion model. The speaker insinuates that these women are jealous of her. While they are “pretty” by conventional standards, they nonetheless notice that the speaker possesses something amazing that they do not.
Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can’t touch
My inner mystery.
The speaker explains her appeal to men. Like women, these men notice something extraordinary in the speaker. In addition, they fail to understand how they could be attracted to a woman who is so atypical. However, the speaker also suggests there is another kind of beauty she possesses that may be the real secret to her allure. She has an “inner mystery” that the men cannot touch, figuratively speaking. This mystery suggests an inner beauty that radiates from within—her wisdom and personality traits. The men try hard to “touch,” or find, the source of this allure but fail to do so. The speaker suggests that she is invincible in a sense, as no one can corrupt or take away her inner beauty.
Now you understand
Just why my head’s not bowed.
I don’t shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
The speaker addresses the listener directly at the poem’s conclusion. She explains that she is proud of her many wonderful attributes and does not need to walk around with her head “bowed” in shame. She also explains that her beauty is so effortless and prominent that she does not need to beg for attention. Her features and her personality speak for themselves, and she does not need to raise her voice to make her presence known.
