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Maya Angelou's Final Tweet Is Stunning

by Kate Ward

There is perhaps no famous person more perfect for Twitter than Maya Angelou. The medium served Angelou, who passed away at 86 years old Wednesday, and her followers perfectly — with just 140 characters, the famed "Still I Rise" poet was able to deliver inspiration, love, and beauty through her words, proving that the social media network could be valuable for more than just negativity and cat photos. "Let the brain go to work, let it meet the heart and you will be able to forgive"; "If we have someone who loves us—I don't mean who indulges us, but who loves us enough to be on our side—then it's easier to grow resilience"; "Life loves to be taken by the lapel and told: 'I'm with you kid. Let's go'" — it was difficult to not take Angelou's words to heart when logging onto her feed. Or not to smile when noticing the beauty in the simplest of tweets: "This a a wonderful day. I've never seen this one before."

And Angelou's final tweet was just as lovely. Penned May 23, just days before she passed away after battling health problems, the poet's last 140-character contribution referenced the voice of a being she would soon meet:

Indeed, based on her Twitter feed, Angelou's final days were serene. Celebrating Mother's Day, the concept of "overcoming," her 86th birthday — the poet's life appeared filled with the joy and inspiration readers felt digesting her work. (And Angelou's family seemed to confirm that in a statement on Facebook, saying the poet's "ascension was not belabored by the loss of acuity or comprehension." And despite the fact that she is no longer among us, even she was plenty conscious of her staying power:

No question about it.