Poeaxtry's Prism

Spell. Stone. & Sparks that Ignite Change

Tag: axton n o mitchell

  • The Fire Still Burns, Stonewall Was a Riot

    The Fire Still Burns, Stonewall Was a Riot

    They Threw Bricks!

    Today marks the anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising.

    Not a party.

    Not a parade.

    Not your corporate-backed, rainbow-branded nonsense.

    A riot.

    A breaking point.

    A sacred rupture in the silence forced on queer people for generations.

    With Nothing Left to Lose

    June 28, 1969

    They fought back.

    Black and brown trans women, drag queens, queers with nothing left to lose.

    They threw bricks because nobody would hand them dignity.

    They lit fires because we were dying quietly.

    They chose noise over erasure.

    Marsha.

    Sylvia.

    Stormé.

    Countless others whose names we never got to learn because this country didn’t think we needed to know them.

    We carry them.

    We carry their chaos, their refusal, their brilliant, protective rage.

    We carry it when we come out.

    We carry it when we take up space.

    We carry it when we live anyway.

    Pride isn’t just a celebration. It’s a warding spell.

    A reclamation.

    A reminder that we never asked to be beaten into silence

    and we will not go back to whispering.

    For me, Pride is survival.

    It’s my middle finger to a world that tried to bury me in shame.

    It’s the bruise that turned into a banner.

    It’s my queerness as spell work, as scream, as soft altar.

    So today, I remember.

    Today, I say thank you.

    And today, I rage, beautifully, queerly, loudly.

    We are not done.

    We are not docile.

    We are not ashamed.

    And we are not going anywhere.

    Happy Pride, my sacred rebels.

    Keep the fire lit.

    Links Poem history jordan

  • Showing Up Even When Nothing Feels Notable

    Showing Up Even When Nothing Feels Notable

    What notable things happened today?

    Today, I went to work.


    I posted like I had intended. I showed up.
    But if you ask me, what was notable?
    Honestly, nothing leaps out.

    Some days feel like that,


    when you do all the things, but nothing stands out as extraordinary.
    No big wins. No moments that make you want to shout.
    Just the steady grind.
    The invisible effort that keeps you moving towards a goal.

    It’s easy to overlook these days.
    To think they don’t matter.
    But showing up counts. Putting one foot in front of the other is its own victory.
    I know sometimes these days lead to you trying to convince yourself it isn’t worth it. It is still worth it, just so we both don’t forget.

    Highlight Reels and Real Life

    Notice the spelling of reel vs real?

    Not every day needs to be a highlight reel.
    Sometimes, the quiet persistence of survival, of continuing despite the weight of it all, is enough. Real life isn’t what you see all over the internet as a whole, typically.
    Let’s change that together.

    Real Work

    That’s the real work not the reel work.
    The unseen courage. The days you can’t get out because indies start smaller, if not solo, typically.
    You are running a DAMN machine! YOU GO!
    The strength is in just being you when the world expects fake polished shit.

    So today isn’t notable on paper, but it’s mine and yours.
    That matters.

    links Book Face

    If this work feeds your fancy, steadies you, teaches you something, simply makes you feel less alone, or what have you. You can support Poeaxtry & the Prism directly. Donations help with things like tools to create, bartering, free community collaborations, free publishing/ formatting/ listing help, and more survive. Donations also help the community work move forward. CashApp, PayPal, Ko-Fi, and Buy Me a Coffee. Are the only active donation options currently. Choose whatever is easiest and most aligned for you.

  • Spill: Letters from Poeaxtry, Volume Three Turns Out They Like Sad Trans Poems After All

    Spill: Letters from Poeaxtry, Volume Three Turns Out They Like Sad Trans Poems After All

    Newsletter Vol. 3 — May 12th, 2025

    The One Where I Got Published… Thrice.
    Dear reader in the wilds of the prism,
    You know those months where you blink and suddenly your inbox goes from “we regret to inform you” to “we’d love to publish your work”?
    Yeah. That happened.

    In the past few weeks, I’ve had three poems accepted, two rejections (because balance, of course), and I officially partnered with Forever with Pride which is a UK-based queer e-magazine and online store that actually gives a damn about uplifting trans and minority voices.

    It’s been a surreal stretch. Not in the dreamlike, float-above-your-body kind of way. However, more like I tripped into a publishing alley and somehow hit three bullseyes with a busted pen and a pocketful of trauma.
    So naturally, I’m celebrating.
    Well, WE are celebrating

    SALE: 30% OFF EVERYTHING
    Ebooks. Prompt journals. Witchy spells. Sad boy poetry with a resistance arc. Cool rocks and MORE!

    Use code: Axtongotpublished

    Valid until: May 13th – May 21st

    Shop the Prism on Etsy

    Whether you’re new to my work or have read me sobbing through syllables since the beginning, this is for you. These pieces were written between hormone shots and grief spirals, in hospital parking lots and on trailheads, with shaking hands that still wrote anyway.
    Publishing feels weird when you were never sure you were even allowed to speak.
    But here I am. Still writing. Still showing up. Still turning my story into spell work and eBooks stitched from leftover bravery.

    Maybe you’re reading this because you’re one of the ones who believed before I ever had a byline. Maybe you’re new and wondering why this trans guy keeps mailing you metaphors about dirt and ghosts and gender. Either way I’m damn glad you’re here.
    This is just the beginning.
    That I know is a fact.

    Community, Submissions, and the Power of Voice

    The Prism Discord is growing — and so are the projects.
    If you’re looking for a place to share your work, connect with other creatives, and find opportunities to get published, come join us.
    Right now, we’ve got two major submission calls open:

    Voices for the Voiceless — an ongoing eBook project highlighting art, poetry, and essays from marginalized voices in the aftermath of the 2024 election. Open to BIPOC, queer, disabled, immigrant, trans, and allied creatives. Submission cap? None for visual art, 10 for poems, and 2 essays. Deadline? September 2 (for now). The Joy They Cannot Erase a trans masc and nonbinary masc-centered collection that will become a full eBook project. Open to those who identify across the masc spectrum. More details, prompts, and themes coming soon but it’s already in motion. Looking for solo pieces and bros who want to go all in on one piece.

    Got a piece that fits? Submit it. Got questions? Come ask in the server. Just want to read and vibe? You’re welcome too.

    We’re building something honest, weird, and inclusive one poem, one eBook, one voice at a time.

    Discord
    UpDATES

    Or visit the updates button above for more.
    Now that’s out of the way have a goood day!

    Until next spill,
    Where the wild things write.
    Where silence softens.
    Where stories spill.

    With ink, bruised knees, and gratitude,
    Axton N. O. Mitchell

    @poeaxtry_

    I ALMOST FORGOT!
    Want to sharpen your spell work or stitch cleaner lines into your prose?
    Maybe you’ve got poems that won’t behave, a story that needs scaffolding, or a website dream still stuck in your notebook margins.
    Udemy has become a favorite haunt of mine lately. Plus, it is stacked with free and paid courses covering everything from:
    HTML & web design (so you can build your own digital altar) Creative and professional writing (because sometimes the magic needs structure) Storytelling, poetry, journaling, publishing, and beyond
    Whether you’re a total beginner or someone who just needs to refresh what your brain forgot during burnout season, you can scroll through their list yourself right on the Udemy app or their website.
    No subscriptions. No gatekeeping.
    Just click, learn, repeat.
    And maybe finally finish that weird little writing project whispering in the back of your mind.