Beneath Their Gaze

ThembieAngieeMt

Free Verse

They see her hands but not the work,
her stride but not the miles behind.
A woman at a table, a woman in a car,
to them, she is always someone’s guest,
never the builder of her own home.

Their eyes are heavy with belief,
not in truth, but in the comfort of lies.
For if they admit she carved her own path,
what does it say of their unmoving feet?
What does it say of their refusal to rise?

They speak not to question, but to cage,
not to reason, but to erase.
“Who gave it to you?”
never “How did you earn it?”
As if strength can only be bestowed,
never cultivated, never owned.

She is a force, a maker, a mind,
yet to them, she is only a shadow,
dim and fragile as the men they choose to see.
Their ignorance is their refuge,
but the world does not shrink to their comfort.

Still, she walks.
Not asking, not waiting,
but claiming what is hers,
as if the earth itself bends for her,
with or without their eyes upon her,
with or without their approval.

And in her stride, the world trembles,
her silence louder than their words.

About this poem

She’s not the shadow they cast upon her, but the fire they refuse to see

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Written on March 09, 2025

Submitted by ThembieAngieeMt on March 09, 2025

Modified by ThembieAngieeMt on March 09, 2025

: 1:10 min read
: 132 Views

Quick analysis:

Scheme	XAXXX XBXXB XXXXXX AXXXX XXXCCX BX
Closest metre	Iambic tetrameter
Characters	1,042
Words	234
Stanzas	6
Stanza Lengths	5, 5, 6, 5, 6, 2

Full analysis for Beneath Their Gaze »

ThembieAngieeMt

· 1992 · Bulawayo

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6 Comments

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karlcfolkes
Simply lovely about the true heroine that any ‘ordinary’ woman is; yet perhaps on a much larger social, cultural and historical scale, what most women are, and continue to be, who are bearers of children, who are bearers of civilizations, and bring new life into this world. more »
LikeReply 18 days ago
- ThembieAngieeMt
  well said. Women have always been the backbone of history, shaping the world in ways that often go unseen. I love how you captured that.
  LikeReply7 days ago
tolulopeolajidealabi
Beneath their gaze reflects a deep emotional and social struggle faced by a woman in a world believed to be mens. Her achievements are noticed --the see her hands and strides but not her work and the stressful miles covered to achieve these strides. Since women according to the poems settings needs validation from men and are deemed incomplete in their own right, she is believed to be with a man --at the restaurants and events, car etc-- at the tables and in a car.

They --the men-- fails to acknowledge that she indeed can find fulfilment in things she sets her mind to and achieve them without help from her opposite sex, and this denial is brings solace to their confused mind and eyes. They are mot in touch with reality -- comfort of lies.

Strength here seem a representation of wealth, which, though ascribed, yet can also be attained.

Still, she walks, not asking, not waiting...... Here the poet seem to reflect how she dares to do her thing, achieve and pursue her goals, achieveing them as the earth bends for her, seeking to validation nor approval of the men.

Beneath their gaze seeks to reinvent the sitting order and perceived unfairness done to woman and a need for them to speak out, dare existing beliefs, and achieve the unthinkable thus they tremble!

Indeed a wonderful poem..., a feminist treasure! more »
LikeReply 18 days ago
- ThembieAngieeMt
  Wow, this is such a thoughtful analysis. You captured the heart of the poem so well,the struggle, the defiance, and the quiet but unstoppable power of women. I love how you framed it as ‘reinventing the sitting order’,that’s exactly the energy I wanted to convey. Thank you. more »
  LikeReply 17 days ago
BellaTheMilkCarton
I love the way its worded its very good, great work!
LikeReply 19 days ago
- ThembieAngieeMt
  Thank you very much.
  LikeReply7 days ago
jchym_p
I think you should try a different approach to art. Because I feel that the quality of the meaning behind the words far outweights the quality of the words themselves. I think you should try something where you play more with words and metaphors and all the toys and tricks that you can use to make a poem sound more interesting. As that would help elevate the poem.
You actually used it: They speak not to question, but to cage,
more of this please. more »
LikeReply 19 days ago
- ThembieAngieeMt
  i see what you mean. I love playing with metaphors and layered meanings, so I’m glad you noticed that in the poem. Definitely something I’ll keep exploring. Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts,I really appreciate it. more »
  LikeReply7 days ago
dawg4jesus
She is wisdom and the whole world trembles before her. Good job, well done.
LikeReply9 days ago
- ThembieAngieeMt
  I love the strength in that statement. Thank you for your kind words and for taking the time to read my poem.
  LikeReply7 days ago
ladyygracious
I sit, I look and I wonder why all these societal biases and the erasure of women's achievements? But then, We will continue to remain the fire unseen regardless... GOOD ONE
LikeReply 19 days ago
- ThembieAngieeMt
  Exactly. The erasure is real, but the fire keeps burning. Thank you for reading and sharing your thoughts.
  LikeReply7 days ago

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"Beneath Their Gaze" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2025. Web. 18 Mar. 2025. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/215406/beneath-their-gaze>.

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