Poeaxtry's Prism

Spell. Stone. & Sparks that Ignite Change

Tag: authenticity

  • What Sparks My Admiration: Celebrating Talent, Courage, and Kindness

    What Sparks My Admiration: Celebrating Talent, Courage, and Kindness

    What is something others do that sparks your admiration?

    Admire What Matters

    There are people who make you stop, just a little, because of the way they move through the world. They are the ones whose actions are impossible not to notice, even if they’re subtle. I’ve spent time thinking about what sparks my admiration. Not romantically. Not something to flex for show. All that will fade .

    Artistic talent

    I admire artistic talent, especially when it looks to come effortlessly to them. I can barely draw a stick figure, and my doughnuts barely hold their sprinkles, yet I watch people wielding brushes, pencils, or clay and feel a quiet awe. There’s something about creation, the courage to put something out there, that’s magnetic.

    The knight in tin foil

    I admire people who stand up for others, especially those who can’t or won’t defend themselves. When someone is being targeted for things beyond their control, the courage it takes to speak or act on their behalf is something that stays with me. It’s messy, it’s human, but it is real bravery in action.

    Patient People

    I admire patience, even if it’s just a performance, a practiced calm in the middle of chaos. There’s a rhythm to waiting, to tolerating, to letting things unfold. I will never understand how some people make it look effortless. I know it isn’t for me for sure.

    idgaf

    I admire those who don’t care what anyone else thinks. No not the kind that says it repeatedly but still hesitates. We hate a broadway wanna be. People who actually move through life free of that weight, making choices for themselves. It’s not easy for everyone. But it is a quiet rebellion that inspires without needing to shout.

    Kind Souls

    I admire quiet kindness, the kind not everyone will notice. It is given to injured wild animals, stray dogs or cats, and even the people society pushes to the side. There’s an authenticity in those moments, in lifting up the “underdog,” that leaves a mark longer than any grand gesture ever could.

    Indie

    I can’t forget the admiration I hold for indie creatives, the people who wake up, make, and try. And not for instant fake fame or clout. People who just feel they have to. The ones who experiment, who fail, who rise again, and who light the way for others in the process.

    These traits, these actions, these quiet strength. They remind me for one that admiration isn’t about perfection. It is witnessing integrity, courage, creativity, and generosity in motion. And the more we notice, the more we can embody them in our own lives.

    Links portfolio

  • Am I a Leader or a Follower? A Trans Journey of Authenticity and Courage

    Am I a Leader or a Follower? A Trans Journey of Authenticity and Courage

    Some Lead, Others Fall in Line

    A follower might have waited. Waited for safety, for acceptance, for someone else to go first. But thirteen years ago, I didn’t wait to socially transition. This decision allowed me to medically transition three years later.

    I have never been one to fall in line. I have always felt the itch of resistance when told to fit it, shrink, or to wait my turn. A follower would have stayed quiet, but that has never been my nature. I carved a path where there was not one, trading comfort for authenticity, silence for visibility. I have always moved to the rhythm of my own convictions. Enjoying venturing off the beaten path often alone. However, I was never lost.

    Fearlessness is Fake News

    Being a leader does not mean being fearless; it means moving forward even when fear sits in your throat. I said a decade ago I started my medical transition. Back then, the world wasn’t quite yet filled with hashtags and visibility campaigns. There were not many tv characters or social movements to point to. We are talking about the era pre the politicizing of transgender identities. It was just me and my stubborn heart. I knew deeply that I could no longer live my life pretending. I was not a woman. I had no maps or guidebooks. I just had a gut feeling, and a fire that said go! Eventually, I met my people, who would point me to different resources along some of the way, and I the same for them.

    Popular Belief

    I want to clarify something. Neither I nor anyone I know has ever transitioned because it was popular. Nor because it was accepted. It isn’t popular now, and it was not then either. I transitioned because living life as a woman felt like slow suffocation. Even if the world did not have space for me, I will continue to carve out my own. The world still does not have space for me. I will continue to carve out my own space.

    Leadership to me doesn’t always mean crowds and commands. Sometimes it looks like the quiet rebellion or choosing truth over comfort. Sometimes it’s being the first to stand up to say, “This is who I am!” and daring others to see you finally. I walked ahead not because I want or wanted followers, but because I could no longer stand still. Silence was never and will never create safety for people like me. I have often been doubted, but I always move forward. Each time I move forward, I make space for others to follow. It is not because I asked them to. It is because opening the path showed them they were always allowed to.

    So, am I a leader or a follower?

    I am a leader. I refuse to be anything less than myself. This holds true even when the world still has not caught up yet.

    A poem to a little girl a poem about surgery
    a poem thanking the goddess for trans men
    a poem about violence against trans men
    links