Poeaxtry's Prism

Spell. Stone. & Sparks that Ignite Change

Author: poeaxtry_

  • My Poem “Sunlight In Honey” Found a Forever Home in Furrily Lovable

    My Poem “Sunlight In Honey” Found a Forever Home in Furrily Lovable

    Hey friends,

    I’ve got something soft and bright to share today… my poem “Sunlight In Honey” has been published by Magique Publishing in their collection Furrily Lovable. This collection isn’t just poems. Instead it’s full of pictures, art, and heartfelt pieces about the ones we love most: our fur babies.

    Writing “Sunlight In Honey” felt like tracing pawprints across a mountain trail, capturing the warmth of golden light on fur, the quiet bond between dog and human after a long hike. I pictured my dog tail wagging, tongue lolling, ears perked soaking in the forest’s hush. I wanted to hold that moment in words, to honor the loyalty, the joy, the wild love.

    When Magique Publishing posted about the submission call bing open, I felt like this was made for me. Their collection brings together art and soul, dog lovers and dreamers, human and animal kin. Holding the physical copy, seeing my poem next to paintings, photos, other poems, felt like standing among many storytellers all speaking the same language: love for the creatures we share our lives with.

    If you want to grab a physical copy, it’s available on Amazon now. Look for Furrily Lovable flip the pages, feel the brush of whiskers, the softness of paws, the pulse of life we sometimes rush past.

    For those who know me you know this kind of publishing is the reason I started Poeaxtry_ and The Prism. It’s about collecting the whispers, the small wild moments, the love that often goes unseen. It’s for the underdogs, the moon-lit hikes, the pages stained with dirt and hope.

    If you grab a copy, I’d love to hear which poem or art piece hits you hardest. And maybe someday I’ll share behind-the-scenes of writing “Sunlight In Honey” from trail dust to printer ink.

    Stay rooted, stay real, stay bright.

    Peace,

    Ax

    Links

    poem

  • The September Trip: I forgot Falls & Castles in Ohio

    The September Trip: I forgot Falls & Castles in Ohio

    She was almost dry but still worth it!

    Bat village, Ohio, Colombia waterfall into Lake Erie
    Seriously though I love it!

    I just realized I never shared this mid‑September adventure. Which surprised me because it was such a perfect day. If those were possible. Luna and I explored Columbia Beach Falls. Which had been on my list simply forever. Honestly just because it’s a waterfall into a lake. I LOVE lake waterfalls. Then we were off to Squire’s Castle, though snippets from the castle did make it to TikTok. Finally it has made its way to the hiking journal! I for one am ready to relive the day with you.

    I rolled into a new morning after working a twelve-hour night shift. The kind of quiet that feels scarce unless you’re used to night shift. Luna was wide awake as usual. This time she didn’t realize she had a reason to be. We both needed a trip. A break for me a breath for her, both deserved. We loaded into the car, leaving our house around 7:45am. We made our way toward two places that I’d been thinking about for sometime now. On the agenda: a waterfall that meets Lake Erie, and a castle perched in the woods, quiet yet majestic. First, we stopped for something even more meaningful: handmade pieces from a friend.

    natural brick type stones stuck on a bar

    Supporting Handmade Creativity

    Before the exploration and photo ops, we pulled into Cleveland. My friend recently broke his elbow, so his wife was selling handmade items and making art. I picked up a black, yellow, and blue Baphomet stuffy, handmade. Then came the surprise: a pink-and-purple giraffe for “the baby”. These pieces weren’t just gifts. I love supporting the people making the art. Taking the trip wasn’t just about the view; it was about connection.

    Waterfall Moment: Columbia Beach Falls

    Our second stop was Columbia Beach Falls in Bay Village, Ohio. The waterfall spills directly into Lake Erie. There’s a viewing platform that hugs the cliffside. You can see the water plunge down in soft thundering whispers. From there, a flight of about 67 steps (per the official coastal-access documents) takes you directly to the base. Luna splashed in the shallow pool. I giggled as the lake breeze kissed her skin.

    Luna and her name written in chalk

    At the top, we found a concrete patio and some picnic tables. There were buckets of chalk! Luna sat there, looking so pretty like a good girl. I scribbled her name in one place. I wrote Poeaxtry across the way. I leaned into the moment with my camera in hand. I captured her tiny backlit silhouette (many times), the stones, the water, and that horizon. It looks like it should be salty. It was pure, spontaneous, and perfect.

    Transition to Squire’s Castle

    We soaked in the energy at the falls. Then we headed east, toward North Chagrin Reservation. Another kind of magic awaited there. I expected to sweat and hike for miles. I was prepared af too. Needless to say I was a bit let down when we got there, I discovered something different.

    Squire’s Castle: Ruin, Stone & Easy Access

    Squire’s Castle, in Willoughby Hills, is part of Cleveland Metroparks. Built in the 1890s by Feargus B. Squire, this “castle” was never completed as a full estate. It was meant to be a gatehouse for a grander design. That grander design never came together. The structure is made from Euclid bluestone, with thick, powerful walls and elegant, albeit empty, rooms. Today, it stands as a stone shell surrounded by trees, stories, and moss.

    Squire's "castle" in all her glory

    Contrary to what some online guides and bloggers suggest, you don’t need to hike forever to get there. We parked easily in the castle’s own lot. So no three-mile trek required. Trails do wind around the castle, though: there’s a loop (the “Squire’s Castle Loop”) of about 2.6 miles, depending on your path, and scenic walking paths if you want to explore.

    We walked the grounds, listened to the rustling leaves, and watched sunlight flicker across the stones. There’s a swampy marsh area nearby. It’s part of the reservation’s wetlands. Even from the base, the architecture felt like a fairy tale made by a dreamer. The ruins were beautiful, powerful, and surprisingly accessible — more welcoming than intimidating.

    Reflections on the Day

    That day felt like reclaiming something. There was the roar and calm of a waterfall. The quiet strength of a castle ruin stood strong. I felt the warmth of handmade gifts made by a friend. Luna’s laughter echoed across stone and water. Chalk dust smeared her hands; her hair caught the breeze. I carried all of this with me. I cherished the joy in small things. I felt the weight of creativity. Places felt like stories I was writing with my feet.

    huge heart shaped stone i found on the lake erioe shore

    I didn’t just visit two destinations. I recorded two chapters of a living story: art, nature, history, and heart.

    Tips If You Want to Go

    When to Visit: Mid‑August or early fall feel magical. The light is gentle, and the paths are warm underfoot. Parking: At Squire’s Castle: There is a designated parking area at the base. At Columbia Beach Falls: There’s parking at the bluff. Be ready to walk down the steps, about 67 of them, for the best view and photos. Trail Notes: Castle Area: Optional back‑trail loop ~2.6–3.1 miles, depending on which paths you choose. Falls Area: Bring good shoes if you plan to navigate the steps to the base; the overlook is easy. Gear: Chalk for spontaneous art, camera for quiet moments, and a smaller water‑friendly bag if you want to dip in.

    Why This Trip Mattered to Me

    There’s power in unplanned moments. This includes supporting a friend’s handmade hustle. It also involves experiencing the rough stone of a ruin and the rush of water where lake and waterfall meet. I think the world feels smaller and more kind when you give attention to places and people. It happens when you step off the beaten path and into your own story.

    If you’re craving a day trip in Ohio that holds both wild and calm, this route is for you. It offers artistry and timeworn stone. Columbia Beach Falls and Squire’s Castle exist in memory. They are found in surprise and quiet joy. Bring someone you love, bring your sense of wonder, and take the steps.

  • The Spill Volume 10-

    The Spill Volume 10-

    WIP to Fire!

    I’ve been sitting with two new works that each bite a little deeper than usual. I’m knee-deep in human monster imagery, hallucinations on pages, and the smut and horror that cut both ways. You know me, I wanted to open the door a little wider. So I’m writing a body type horror that lives in our daily habits. It relates to simple acts like unwrapping a straw. It includes the tear of opening a ketchup packet and even the crack of a water bottle seal. I’ve been calling this new project “I Wonder.” I noticed how often the mundane is one blink away from becoming brutal.

    If you know me, you know I love splatter-punk and horror gore. It felt right to try my hand at a different kind of poetic violence. Some grow out of the everyday rituals we never think twice about. Others are manifested by our own misery and deprivation.

    It’s time to bring readers into the process.

    Beta Readers, ARC Readers, and Street Team Sign Ups

    I’m building three small but mighty teams. Each has a clear role, clear expectations, and a few thank-you bonuses from me.

    If you want in:

    Email me at poeaxtry@gmail.com, or fill out the form(s) linked in this post. You can pick more than one or just one, whatever fits your schedule.

    Beta Readers

    You get the raw draft, the crooked edges, the parts still dripping. You tell me what stumbles, what hits, what confuses, what claws at you in the right way.

    You get:

    • Early access to the rough manuscript

    • A digital finished copy upon release

    • Your name in the digital acknowledgments

    • A private PDF of cut pieces, alternate lines, or deleted stanzas, exclusive to beta members

    ARC Readers

    You get the polished version right before launch. Your main task is simple, read and leave an honest review on at least one platform.

    You get:

    • Final digital copy

    • Your name listed as an early reviewer

    • Access to promo graphics you can share if you want

    • Optional Q and A email with me after launch

    Street Team

    You help amplify. Sharing posts, boosting drops, nudging other readers. Low pressure, high impact. You’ll make posts prior to book launch & also post launch.

    You get:

    • Sneak peek excerpts

    • Street team only wallpapers or digital art

    • Name in the digital acknowledgments

    • The chance to win a physical gift for outstanding team players.

    If you want to be part of these groups, email me or complete the sign-up form. I’m keeping it simple.

    More about the WIP

    This piece is the heart of what I’m writing now. It blends hallucination, romance, rot, body-electricity, and all the strange cycles we call connection. Think sensory overload, think whispered illusions, think those little narrative pages where reality slips sideways. The full chapbook is coming along, poem by poem, story by story, and monster by monster.

    Open Collabs

    Voices for the Voiceless:

    Voices for the voiceless collab for community involvement

    The Joy They can’t Erase :

    rainbow background mountains black font QR code COllab Announcment

    Both community collaborations are getting extended timelines so the full emotional feel can land. No rush. Just creation.

    Free Minority Manuscript Publishing Spot

    I’m keeping one slot open at all times for a minority creator who needs their manuscript brought to life. First come, first served. No cost, no gate keeping, just support. We currently don’t charge for publishing at all and do not offer it outside this spot.

    Feel free to email me @ poeaxtry@gmail.com and I’ll reply with the details.

    Facebook Giveaway

    When the page hits 1k followers, I’m giving away:

    • All 9 digital collections to the grand prize winner

    • Three runner ups get one mystery digital collection each

    Four winners total.

    Details on Facebook, but I’ll announce it here when we’re close. Instagram & other socials get the same giveaway when they reach 1k. More for higher amounts as well!

    links portfolio

    poem

    Don’t forget to subscribe here for Sub only FOREVER discounts!

  • “Women in Red Rooms”

    “Women in Red Rooms”

    Meet Dorthy Jade & “Women in Red Rooms”

    Originally from Austin Dorthy now reside outsides of Dallas. She got her start in radio while she was still an undergrad at UT. Soon after she got bit by the entertainment bug and began appearing in TV series shot locally in Austin such as ABC’s “American Crime,” a Fox Pilot for “Urban Cowboy” among others.

    Dorothy developed her first TV pilot, titled “Fourth Down” and incorporated her own independent production company titled Waymaker Women to produce TV, films and media targeted towards women of color in genre. Her latest project, is a book which marks her debut into the poetry arena. She notes her favorite project was her first TV Pilot that she developed. It was so special to her because it was the first ever project that I created; holds a special place in my heart.

    How “Women in Red Rooms” was birthed

    Dorothy Jade is a writer, storyteller and producer so she came from the world of entertainment. She decided that she wanted to publish and the best vehicle for her was poetry. It’s raw, instinctual and it just allows her to go after depths and uncomfortable truths that she has faced in acknowledging how rage has shaped her as a woman. Dorothy specifically created “Women in Red Rooms” to confront her own rage so that she could transform it into alchemy. Rage doesn’t have to be a crutch that puts you in this freeze state. It can become positive and allow you to heal and reclaim your power, if you allow it.

    Deeper meanings

    For Dorothy Jade, creation is all about autonomy, transformation and representing stories that primarily reach women of color. She knew that the end goal was to always develop worlds within genre that speak to women in a way they haven’t experienced before. Media and entertainment is simply a vehicle for me to expand my imagination.

    Dorothy Jade wants “Women in Red Rooms” to become a blueprint for those seeking a safe room if you will in using their rage for their transformation. You can use your anger and turn it into something meaningful, creative or healing. Rage isn’t the monster, here. You’re allowed to feel in ways that may have felt like shame at one point.

    Future Plans

    Dorothy is going on the road with “Women in Red Rooms” via tour as she plans to produce a documentary behind this world. She can see it growing teeth; becoming a brand beyond just poetry but film, television and animation as well.

    Links to Dorothy Jade socials, website: IG, twitter, threads @dorothviade and my site will be launching soon at dorothviade.com.

    Don’t forget to get Dorothy Jade’s book

    “Women in Red Rooms” here!

  • Beaches or Mountains: Why I Love Them Both

    Beaches or Mountains: Why I Love Them Both

    Black and White photo I took in 2016 of the Santa Monica Pier!

    Well, I’m finally feeling like answering the a daily Prompt again. Today’s prompt is… Beaches or mountains, and tell us why. And you know me, I ain’t picking. I love them both, but for very different reasons, and at different times.

    I’m a mountain man. I like to hike. I like to find destinations that don’t have destinations. If nobody was around to stop me, I’d probably hike farther than I do, just to see a lot less than I do. Ohio is sacred there’s something sacred in the quiet, in the moments between one peak and the next. Being out in nature, away from people, away from screens, schedules, and most important to me no one’s bothering me about being trans. I just exist. Seeing and feeling things sometimes that’s everything. Sometimes I touch a tree, just to touch it, and whisper “thank you,” like it’s listening.

    I’m also not always trying to disappear into the woods. Sometimes I want to feel the sand between my toes, sip a mojito by the ocean, let the sun hang on my skin. And yet… even then, there’s that itch to pick up my tent, walk farther than anyone else, and not see a soul for a day or two. I’m the one who goes out over their head in the ocean when swimming, just because I can. The water is alive, and I want to be alive in it too.

    I’ve been chasing both my whole life. When I lived in Vegas, every other weekend we’d drive through the mountains just to get to LA. The mountains, the hills, the twists and turns they made the journey alive. Nature isn’t one thing to me. Clearly the ocean is nature. The woods are nature. The mountains are nature. Unless it’s Florida. I ain’t never been, and I don’t plan on it either.

    So which do I love more? I don’t. I love them both, for different reasons, at different times. The mountains feed my soul with quiet and effort. The beaches feed my soul with freedom and motion. Sometimes it’s the smell of pine. Sometimes it’s the taste of salt water on my lips or smelling it hanging in the air. Sometimes it’s just sitting still, sometimes I know it’s walking farther than I’ve ever walked before. Both remind me why I need nature at all, and both remind me why I’ll keep chasing it, wherever it is.

    Oh look it’s Sky, The Baby, and Luna!
  • TDoR- A LGBTQ+ History Lesson

    TDoR- A LGBTQ+ History Lesson

    The First Transgender Day of Remembrance

    On November 20, 1999, the first Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDoR) took place. This was organized by activist Gwendolyn Ann Smith to honor the life of Rita Hester. A trans woman of color murdered the year before.

    Gwendolyn’s web project, Remembering Our Dead, launched to aggregate names of trans people lost to violence. Thus making our stories visible. Candlelit vigils in Boston and San Francisco marked a solemn promise: trans lives will not be erased.

    Since then, TDoR has grown into a global observance, with hundreds of cities participating annually.

    Rita Hester: Her Life, Her Death, Her Legacy

    Rita Hester was born November 30, 1963. She lived in Boston, where she was a vibrant presence in the queer and trans community.

    On November 28, 1998, she was stabbed to death in her apartment, reportedly twenty times. The media misgendered and dead named her. Only demonstrating the disrespect and erasure trans people face even in death.

    Her death sparked outrage and action. Leading to the first TDoR and the enduring memorial project that ensures trans lives are remembered. A mural in Boston now honors her, cementing her presence for generations to come.

    Notable Trans People Remembered: Impact & Legacy

    Sir Ewan Forbes (1912-1991)

    A Scottish doctor and trans man, Ewan Forbes, faced a legal challenge from his cousin. All over the inheritance of a baronetcy. Forbes, being AFAB, was forced to claim an intersex condition in a secret court hearing to win the case. Ewan lived publicly as himself, married the woman he loved, and carried his title. Though, the secrecy delayed broader legal recognition for trans people in the UK. His story is a reminder that trans men have always existed, just usually quietly. While erasure is even evident in victory.

    Albert Cashier (1843-1915)

    Albert Cashier, an Irish-born trans man, served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He lived his adult life as a man until a car accident in 1910 revealed his assigned sex at birth. Later, in a state institution, attendants forced him into a dress against his will. Comrades remembered him as loyal and steadfast, and he was buried in his full military uniform in 1915. Albert’s story illustrates resilience, service, and the courage of living authentically despite societal erasure.

    Dr. Alan Hart (1890–1962)

    Alan Hart, a trans man and American physician and radiologist. He was also one of the first trans men in the United States to undergo hysterectomy and gonadectomy in 1917. Though, his career and life were lived under the constant threat of being outed. Which, sadly, would have ended his medical work. Hart’s persistence highlights both the courage and the invisibility imposed on trans men in history.

    Billy Tipton (1914–1989)

    A celebrated jazz musician, Billy Tipton lived and worked as a man to pursue a career in music. Jazz venues wouldn’t book women musicians, so Billy became. He lived the life he wanted, just as many queer people of the time did. And Billy thrived, he led bands and toured relentlessly. Eventually he built a reputation as a talented, reliable musician. Billy booked steady gigs in Oklahoma and Washington, raised three boys, and maintained a family life. Billy’s life was loving and ordinary in all ways that mattered. Though, after his death in 1989, paramedics discovered he had been assigned female at birth. Turning what should have been private, into a media frenzy. Billy was ripped open by tablets hungry for spectacle. Instead of honoring a respected musician, the media turned him into a headline. Misgendering him, mocking him, and sensationalizing his life without the faintest understanding of the violence that exposure like this causes. This was one of the first major examples of the modern press publicly outing a trans man without consent. Eventually, it shaped the way media ethics would be debated. Yet, none of that noise changes the truth. Billy lived his life as himself, loved his kids, made his music, and never owed the world a fucking thing. Billy Tipton’s story is a stark example of how transgender men have been misrepresented, even after death.

    Gwendolyn Ann Smith

    The founder of TDoR and author. Her activism preserves memory and builds community. Gwendolyn dreams to exist in a world where we no longer need the memorial she created. Her work ensures that trans lives lost to violence are not forgotten, creating a foundation for grief, resistance, and advocacy.

    Monique Thomas & Chanelle Pickett

    Both women are trans women of color whose deaths preceded Rita Hester’s. Monique Thomas (1998) and Chanelle Pickett (1995) are integral to TDoR’s early history. Their lives and deaths emphasize that violence against trans women, especially Black trans women, is part of a systemic pattern.

    Marsha P. Johnson (1945–1992)

    A self-proclaimed transvestite, She/her, drage queen activist, and community elder, Marsha P. Johnson co-founded STAR (Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries) with Sylvia Rivera. She fought for queer and trans youth, living openly and boldly. Remembering her highlights the activism, joy, and resistance within trans communities, and not only loss.

    Recent Transgender people lost to soon

    Mar’Quis “MJ” Jackson

    A 33-year-old Black trans man and Philadelphia activist. MJ worked with the William Way Center, Transgender Legal Defense Fund, and The Free KY Project. He was found deceased on December 14, 2022, from multiple blunt force injuries. His life was full of love and activism. Being described as someone who “would get the party started anywhere” and “loved everybody.” In January 2025, Charles Mitchell was convicted for involuntary manslaughter and other charges related to MJ’s death. His story paints a picture of violence against trans people. While we also seldom get actual justice.

    Nex Benedict (2008-2024)

    A 16-year-old nonbinary student from Owasso, Oklahoma, Nex endured severe bullying and a physical assault at school. Despite the school nurse recommending a medical examination, Nex finished the day at school. To arrive home bloodied after being left to endure the rest of the day without proper care. They later died from an overdose, a death considered a result of systemic failures in schools and anti-trans environments. Nex’s story reflects both the vulnerability of trans youth and the urgent need for systemic protections.

    Sam Nordquist

    Sam was a 24-year-old trans man of color from Minnesota. He endured weeks of physical and sexual abuse, starvation, and psychological torture before his death in early 2025. Seven scumbag monsters were charged with second-degree murder. Two of which had recently been released after sexual charges. These excuses for humans also had two minor children actively engaged in abusing Sam. This angel of a human was also a healthcare worker. He loved his community, he wanted simply to be loved. I will always have a dedicated memorial page dedicated to him on my website. His memorial page tells the story of what he loved, shares art, and honors him. His life, work, and heart should not be reduced to his death. Sam reflects the vibrancy, generosity, and bravery of trans men today.

    Why This Matters: Memory, Violence, Resistance

    TDoR is resistance, not just memorial. Reading names refuses invisibility. Lighting candles is defiance. Violence against trans people is not new, and systemic and cultural erasure persists.

    Legal protections in the U.S. stay a patchwork at best. As of 2024, only about 21–23 states plus D.C. explicitly protect gender identity across employment, housing, and public accommodations. In the remaining states, trans people can face legal discrimination. This includes things like “gay/trans panic” defense. This legal defense still exists in roughly 30 states, excusing violence based on bias.

    Now we approach weaponized visibility. Trans women are often hyper-visible, opening them up to new dangers. While trans men are erased, their existence ignored in public discourse, sports, and legislation. Both experiences mirror systemic abuse that fuels discrimination and violence.

    Honoring the Living While Remembering the Dead

    TDoR is both grief and affirmation. It memorializes those lost like Rita Hester, Monique Thomas, Marsha P. Johnson, Brandon Teena, Sam Nordquist, Nex Benedict, MJ Jackson and so many more. While still reminding us to support living trans people. History stretches from the Union Army to contemporary schools and workplaces, showing how erasure and resistance are deeply intertwined.

    Every name read on TDoR is a spark, every candle lit a defiance. We remember, we resist, and we build toward a world where no trans life is taken by hate.

    Trans history reaches further than most realize. Before the Nazis destroyed Berlin’s Institut für Sexualwissenschaft, trans people in Germany had access to pioneering medical care and advocacy resources. They of course were violently erased in the 1930s. Remembering these early efforts reminds us that trans existence and resilience predate contemporary struggles.

    This post highlights trans men more heavily than I typically would on a TDoR post. However I a trans man, only recently learned the historical trans men’s names let alone their histories. Figures like Billy Tipton, Albert Cashier, Sir Ewan Forbes, and Dr. Alan Hart lived powerful, often invisible lives, and their stories deserve visibility alongside the trans women who are too often hyper-visible and unsafe. For many trans men, history has quietly erased them and that invisibility is part of why this remembrance matters today.

    Poem about Sam

    Poem about trans people gone to soon

    Links portfolio ko-fi

  • Hiking Salt Fork: A Cave, A Summit, And a Quiet Mind

    Hiking Salt Fork: A Cave, A Summit, And a Quiet Mind

    Planning the hike:

    Man in jeans a hat and a green shirt and his red nosed American pitbull terrier dog onto of a rock in Hosak’s cave.
    Luna and I in Hosak’s Cave

    We set out pretty early considering we got off work at 6am. I left my house and headed to pick up Sky and The baby shortly after 12 noon. We had been planning three hikes. The Hosak’s Cave Trail to warm up. Then Morgan’s Knob Loop for waterfalls and a summit. Finally finishing up with Stone House Loop to walk through history. By the time we came down from Knob loop, though, the sky was reaching beyond dusk. The pine trees formed a tunnel of shadows, and there was no way we could safely complete the third trail. Considering our lack of headlamps and the baby in tow.. we left it. But what we did finish the cave, the climb, and the peace felt like more than enough.

    Exploring the Cave

    Climbing into Hosak’s Cave was like slipping into another world. We ignored the “trail ends here” signs. Well Luna and I did at least. We then pushed past rough sandstone walls, slipped on loose dirt way to high up, and then found a seat up there too tucked just under the cave’s roof. I sat there for a long moment. I felt the rock beneath me, the forest breathing just beyond the cave’s mouth, and the drip of water somewhere i couldn’t quite see. It felt sacred, strong, feral. It was like the stone held stories just for me. It reminded me of Red River Gorge, but quieter, deeper, soaked in stillness.

    The mouth of Hosak’s Cave in Salt Fork State Park Ohio November 2025
    Hosak’s cave

    Morgan’s Knob Loop

    Then came Morgan’s Knob. The trail wound through rooted forest, climbing gently, until it opened up into rocky outcroppings. At the top, the wind and the stone told me a few import things. The fists was that this land was older than all of us. It reminded me time does not rush here the way people do. Before I left thought it added that no matter what people who are different belong.

    Morgan’s Knob Loop trail. trail head sign
    Morgan’s Knob Loop Trail

    Salt Fork State Park: Geology and Geography

    All around us, Salt Fork State Park stretched wide. It’s the largest state park in Ohio. This park covers a massive 20,181 acres roughly of rugged hills, ravines, and ridges.  Its terrain belongs to the unglaciated Allegheny Plateau. Simply put that means the hills and valleys were never flattened by ice. This gives the park its wild, carved feel.  The rock underfoot is sandstone, shale, and siltstone. These formed in ancient layers of Pennsylvanian-age geology.  They eventually erode unevenly over time, forming caves like Hosak’s, cliffs, and even blocks of sandstone that break off and slump down. 

    Salt Licks and Human Use

    The name “Salt Fork” comes from mineral salt springs. The natural licks where animals once gathered.

    Native Americans, including the Wyandot, harvested the salt for food and trade. In the 1800s, settlers drilled wells nearly 450 feet deep to extract brine, which was boiled down into salt for commercial use.

      These salt licks helped shape how the land was used, how people lived, and what wildlife visited.

    History and Local Lore

    Speaking of people, history runs deep here. Kennedy Stone House, built in 1837 from sandstone quarried nearby. Is still standing in the park.  It was built by Benjamin Kennedy, whose family lived there for more than a century.  The house eventually became a museum, preserved by a volunteer group that revived it in the early 2000s.  Local lore suggests Hosak’s Cave was used as a hide-out during the Civil War.  This rocky overhang, as creaky as it looks, has seen more than just hikers.

    Legends and Bigfoot

    If you hike Salt Fork, you’ll find places you wouldn’t expect: meadows, deep forest, ridges, and stream valleys. But there’s also a weird, beautiful piece of legend here. Bigfoot tales swirl through these hills.  According to local reports, more than 36 Bigfoot sightings have been claimed here since the mid‑1980s.  The park even hosts Bigfoot Night Hikes. These hikes are where people walk in the dark, listening, eyes open, hoping for something monstrous and mysterious.  One of the wildest things the park was ranked by USA Today as one of the top “Squatchiest” places in the U.S. 

    The upcoming Eco‑Discovery Center includes a Bigfoot character for environmental education. 

    I for one am totally down for a Bigfoot night hike!

    Native American Stories

    Native American stories, too, speak of the place. According to a geological survey, the Wyandot people used the caves for shelter. They may have harvested salt from the licks.  In certain remote caves, “hominy holes” or pits in the stone used as ovens served as places to bake cornbread.  It’s hard not to feel their presence when you touch those walls.

    Modern Park Activities

    Autumn bars trees, grass covered in fallen leaves, and a lake view
    Salt Fork Lake

    Today, Salt Fork is alive for modern adventurers. There are 14 scenic hiking trails and six bridle paths.  The lake, made when the Salt Fork Dam was built (completed in the late 1960s), spans thousands of acres. The lake offers boating, fishing, and quiet reflection as common in Ohio lake life.  There’s also a nature center, archery range, miniature golf, and a lodge nestled in the woods.  For families, the park runs a gem‑mining station, where kids sift for semi‑precious rocks and fossils. Which we all know kid or not is RIGHT UP MY ALLEY! Geologically, this place is a gem. 

    Personal Reflection

    Walking Salt Fork felt like walking through time. The cave and rocks held ancient stories. The summit whispered of wind, motivation, moss, and manifestation . The forest pulsed with leaves, legends, salt, and shadow. By the time we left, I carried something soft and heavy. As well as a piece of earth, memory, and wonder.o

    A man in jeans, a green shirt, and a backwards hat sits with his American Pitbull Terrier near a stick fort on a Morgan’s Knob loop.
    Luna and I near a stick fort on Morgan’s Knob loop.

    Nature as Meditation

    This hike felt different… refreshing, soul‑cleansing still but different. I didn’t think about deadlines or noise. For once my head was full of only leaves and rocks, trees and quiet hours, quality time with nature instead of running amuck. This hike wasn’t about conquering anything. Today was about listening, slowing, and sitting in spirit. Nature held still for us, and we held still for nature.

    Hiking today felt different for me. I wasn’t pushing for a peak, checking my watch, or rushing to do do do. I was quiet. Listening. Letting rock and leaf and shadow hold me steady for a few hours.When we left, I felt lighter but not less.

    Evergreen trees and Bare fall trees line the entrance and exit to Morgan’s Knob Loop trail
    The Line of trees guarding the trail

    Fracking and Controversy

    Near the edges of Salt Fork State Park, fracking is no longer just a rumor. This is happening and in a way that worries a lot of people. According to WOSU, the first well pad was built just outside the park boundary, and from there, the wells will go deep underground and then horizontally beneath the park’s terrain.  The process involves pumping millions of gallons of water mixed with sand and chemicals into the rock layers to break them apart and release gas. 

    Environmental groups like Save Ohio Parks argue this isn’t compatible with natural, protected land.  These forests are dense, biodiverse, and some experts say they’re second only to the Amazon for ecological richness. The fracking infrastructure could permanently harm the ecosystem. 

    Water is a major concern. Each frack well could use 4 to 10 million gallons of fresh water, according to the advocacy group.  Some of that water could come from local lakes and streams. Yes, even the waters that feed Salt Fork Lake. Which will then return as toxic wastewater.  That wastewater is often radioactive and must be injected deep underground. Thus raising long-term risks. 

    There have also been safety incidents: in January 2025, a well pad roughly five miles from the park had an explosion.  While no injuries or water contamination were reported, the accident only increased community fears.

    On top of that, dozens of environmental and public‑land groups are calling for a moratorium on fracking in Ohio’s parks.  They argue the dangers are not just theoretical. Let’s be real… the land, water, and wildlife here deserve better than industrial extraction.

    From forest fragmentation, constant truck traffic, night‑lighting, and the risk of chemical or wastewater leaks. The opponents say fracking could permanently change the character of Salt Fork.  

    It’s like an addict injecting poison deep into their veins. They continue hoping it stays contained… yet their body, or the earth, doesn’t always cooperate. Pressure builds, tremors come, and what you inject may seep into places you never intended, or imagined.

    Yet here, in the wild heart of Salt Fork, that reckless injection threatens not just the rocks and streams, but the quiet sanctuary that has lasted for millennia.

    All hiking raw media

    Links. Portfolio. Ko-fi. Twitch.

    One hike. Another hike. A different hike?

  • No November Will Ever Be the Same, A Birthday Touched by Grief and Memory

    No November Will Ever Be the Same, A Birthday Touched by Grief and Memory

    November has its own temperature in my life now. A private weather pattern that settles into the days leading up to my birthday. Sometimes even the days after my birthday too. When grief meets a date that is supposed to feel bright, something shifts, something lingers, and something refuses to fade. This poem moves through that space, the place where candles and memories coexist. The place where a mother’s absence still shapes the month and every breath inside it. I wrote this to honor that truth…

    to let November speak the way it insists on speaking.

    “No November Will Ever Be the Same”

    November holds its own weather,
    a sky that remembers
    even when I try to forget.

    My birthday rises,
    a candle in a tiny room that
    never carries your scent
    four years later…
    I have grown to miss it.

    Four years without you,
    the month keeps its imprint,
    a bruise under the skin of another year,
    tender when I press it,
    tender when I don’t.
    I press it just to feel
    alive sometimes…

    November keeps the ledger open,
    ink still wet, pages turning
    with your scent hidden somewhere
    between the cold mornings
    and the early nights.

    People say time softens,
    but November disagrees.
    I walk through this month
    as if I am carrying two fires,
    one that celebrates my breathing
    one that flickers for the woman
    who taught me how to breathe at all.

    What does November mean now?
    A point between what was given,
    what was taken?
    A place where joy and loss sit
    at the same table…
    neither greeting the other?

    No November will ever be the same.

    I keep moving through it anyway,
    candle in one hand,
    memory in the other,
    hoping the light I carry
    is enough to keep them both lit.

    Poet’s Note

    This one carries the weight of four years. The very echo of that week and a day before my birthday that will forever lead me back to her. Writing it felt like holding two flames at once. The one that marks my birth and the one that marks her leaving. The poem flows with the tension, the ache, and the pull. They meet at the quiet acceptance that no November will ever return to what it used to be. If you are someone who walks through a month that changed you, I hope this piece sits with you in a way that feels steady.

    We all know grief never asks for permission to reshape a month, a date, or a ritual. It moves in and alters the light around everything that follows. Sharing this poem is part of learning how to keep moving. With my candle in one hand, and her memory in the other. I will continue trusting that honoring both is enough. November will never be the same, but it still holds space for growth, reflection and the kind of love that keeps shaping us long after loss has taken its form.

    Links

  • Book Spotlight: Canvas of Scars By: Shane Blackheart 🖤

    Book Spotlight: Canvas of Scars By: Shane Blackheart 🖤

    The Work

    Title: Canvas of Scars

    Summary: Wandering alone late at night in the dark. Searching for meaning as your heart melts in your ribcage. A longing to be alive, but you’re dead and staring through a veil to experience a semblance of life. Canvas of Scars is a collection of dark poetry, short prose, and art with themes of PTSD, depression, psychosis, and other dark subjects.

    Link to buy: https://books2read.com/u/4AePLk

    Favorite piece, quote, or moment: 

    At the End of Time is one of my favorite poems from the book. It was written in a spur of the moment while dissociating, so the imagery was very strong. I’d went on a walk before writing it, and I described everything I was seeing and feeling as if it were a stage play. Like everything was a set and I was on the outside of it all as an observer.

    About me and why I created the book:

    I’m a nonbinary trans masculine author and artist, and I’ve also spent a lot of my life struggling with various mental illnesses, including CPTSD and a panic disorder. Canvas of Scars wasn’t something that was planned, it just became what it was over time as I wrote more and more poetry privately on one of my blogs. The art in the book is also drawn by me, and they’re all pieces that were, again, not meant for publication but as vent art to help me cope. I eventually combined them all in an effort to talk honestly about severe mental illness and trauma, as well as show visually how scary things can feel. It became a part of my work as an advocate for mental health awareness, and as a way to share my own story of survival.

    Future projects: 

    Right now, I’m juggling a few different works in progress. One of them is called The Soulless Ones, and it’s a Backrooms-inspired sci-fi that also takes inspiration from I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream. It’s about four people who wake up in a strange, indoor community to find that they can’t remember their past. No one else is there, and nothing else seems to exist beyond the four walls around them. Another work in progress is the third book in my series, The Requiem Series. It’ll be the final book in the main storyline, and I’m really excited to get back to the fantasy themes of the first book; angels, demons, and a bit of a Biblical apocalypse will unfold.

    Links:

    Website – https://shaneblackheart.com

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shaneblackheart/

    Threads: https://www.threads.com/@shaneblackheart

    Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/shaneblackheart.com

    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ShaneBlackheart

    Poeaxtry’s Links
    Ko-fi
    Spotlight Form

  • Northern Lights Central Ohio: Grief and Gratitude

    Northern Lights Central Ohio: Grief and Gratitude

    Central Ohio Aurora Borealis: A Night of Surprise

    I woke up at 7 p.m. because my phone vibrated on the side of my face! Kelsey had been in a hit-and-run while door dashing. Thankfully I can get up and go because I left immediately to make sure they were okay. The car was drivable, and Kelsey was unharmed, but the shock of the situation was definitely hard on both of us. Later, we had friends over and they brought dinner! They also super helped us with the TV Bull crap. I think the good company made the evening a little easier managed.

    Not 3 minutes after she left, Kylie called (three doors down.) “You have to come outside! NORTHERN LIGHTS!” Both of them are bordering on giddy. I personally was skeptical and assumed it was going to be like the last few times we could see them… which was only in photos. But when they showed us on FaceTime we got up and got outside instantly. We actually had to walk down to their place to see them being that they were literally on top of our house.

    There were pink and green lights sweeping across the sky in Central Ohio?!!

    I now not one of us had ever seen the northern lights like that. They were bright, moving, and mesmerizing. The lights didn’t erase the weight of the day. The stress of a hit-and-run, the TV, and the ongoing grief of losing my mom on four years ago. However, they did offer a sudden, unexpected lift.

    Amid all the ordinary chaos and grief, the northern lights were a rare reminder that small bursts of beauty can matter deeply.

    Aurora Borealis Facts & Emotional Reflections

    Auroras, or the northern lights, occur when charged particles from the sun collide with gases in Earth’s atmosphere. Oxygen then produces green or red light, while nitrogen produces blue or purple. These collisions tend to occur near the poles because Earth’s magnetic field funnels the particles there. That being said seeing the aurora over Central Ohio is rare. Though solar storms and high solar activity can make it possible.

    Historical events like the Carrington Event of 1859 show us the power of geomagnetic storms. In extreme cases they produce auroras visible at unusually low latitudes. Telegraph systems across the globe failed during this event, and auroras were visible as far south as the Caribbean. This shows both the beauty and power of the sun interacting with our planet. The northern lights above our house were not of that degree though.

    The tie in is knowing to a lot of people grief and depression feel intertwined or undistinguishable from the other. But grief is episodic, typically tied to loss, and often unpredictable. This bad boy surfaces in waves that can crash with no warning.

    Depression on the other hand can be more persistent, a shadow that affects every part of life, dulling your favorite color and adding weight like nothing else. When I lost my mom in 2021 I was left with a steady ache that resurfaces, to go along with my depression, to go along with my seasonal affective disorder.

    Obviously this is especially worse for some people around death anniversaries, holidays and birthdays. But last night, the aurora brought a lightness, not a fix, but tiny pause in the heaviness. A small moment, bursts of joy, is bigger than you think. These things matter. Things like a friend’s call, a shared meal, or a flickering sky. The moments that anchor us to the ground when life piles on all its shit are usually the most profoundly simple .

    The day had been full of catastrophes. Kelsey’s accident, the TV, the ordinary weight of a difficult year. Tiny moments you’d often let pass unnoticed can fix your day. We let the northern lights force our attention, to them. This gave us pause, notice, and a quiet awe to share. It’s the contrast between chaos and beauty that makes such moments stand out.

    Looking up at the lights, the weight of the day shifted slightly. It isn’t erased. The TV, the wreck, the grief, the ordinary trials are still present. Just now with a reminder of wonder, of unpredictability, and of something bigger than routine and worry. It’s often the little things, like noticing a rare northern lights display, that make a day worth remembering.

    Life continues with its challenges. Grief continues to arrive, as does anxiety, tech failures, accidents, and the everyday weight of living.

    The Northern lights showing off insane red hues over central ohio
    The northern lights in central Ohio

    Links