Poeaxtry's Prism

Spell. Stone. & Sparks that Ignite Change

Tag: minority voices

  • Poeaxtry is where the people are – Practicing Paganism

    Poeaxtry is where the people are – Practicing Paganism

    If you had a freeway billboard, what would it say?

    My billboard would read:

    Publishing, Poetry, Paganism, and People – The Poeaxtry Prism Planet.”

    Read more below to see the full story as to why…

    Witchcraft and spirituality do not live in perfect aesthetics or mass-produced one size fits all spell bags. It lives where people are actually doing the work. Showing up in kitchens, backyards, workbenches, forests, streams and quiet moments where you can still feel the old world coming through.

    Poeaxtry is where the people are. This brand and motto exist at the intersection of paganism, queer identity, advocacy spirituality, handmade tools, and real-world practice to name just a few. Nothing here is meant to be distant, polished, or untouchable. It’s meant to be used, held, worked with, and questioned.

    This space is rooted in paganism, shaped by personal experience, and expressed through divination, ritual services, and objects made by hand with purpose.

    Heathen or person from a rural person has a new meaning in recent years.

    What Paganism Actually Is

    Paganism is not one religion, and it has never been a single organized system. Historically and in modern practice, paganism is used to refer to a wide range of spiritual paths. These paths are usually nature-based, earth-honoring, and often inspired by pre-Christian traditions.

    Modern paganism is usually experiential rather than dogmatic. People build their practice through relationship with land, seasons, ancestors, symbols, and personal intuition. There is no universal rulebook and no requirement to worship a specific deity.

    That flexibility is not a flaw. It is the point.

    Paganism shows up in Poeaxtry and the Prism, through intention, honoring nature, creation, ritual, divination, the way each item or service is created, and layered into digital and physical literature collections as well. My work is grounded, practical, and personal. Never performative.

    Paganism and Wicca Are Not the Same Thing

    This is one of the most misunderstood topics, so it matters to be clear.

    Wicca is a specific religion that developed in the mid-20th century, drawing from ceremonial magic, folklore, and older pagan imagery. It has defined rituals, ethical frameworks, and religious structure.

    In early Wiccan practice, this rule was often a matter of social etiquette in leu of cosmic law. If a witch did you a favor, you’d be socially tied to return it three times. Pagans argue that turning this into a karmic law or seemingly Christianity related was a later reinterpretation meant to give Wicca a structured, “acceptable” morality.

    Christian Morals?

    Prominent pagan people gave said that Gerald Gardner would invented “ancient” laws to manage coven issues and improve his PR. Non-Wiccan pagans, like myself, and some other believers in the craft feel a universal “law” where actions return exactly threefold… is an oversimplification. Some even see it as a guideline to scare “newbies” into a “non-harmful” practices. This one’s gonna make some people mad, and I’m not sorry about it. The law of three feels like an attempt to make Christians and other people who believe in Abrahamic religions less scared of them.

    Paganism the Umbrella term

    Just small side note on the fact that I have two identifiers that are umbrella terms, and that’s kinda cool if you think about it like I do.

    Paganism is the larger umbrella. Wicca exists within, that being said paganism itself contains more layers than your favorite cake. A good amount of paths that have nothing to do with Wicca at all.

    Some pagans work with deities, others don’t. Practicing Pagans magick. Seasonal, ritual or even ancestral reverence. Eclectic, and Celtic Pagans. Don’t forget Norse, Heathenry, and Hellenism. Kemeticism, an ancient Egyptian form of paganism, and Religio Romana. Yes the Roman’s had a paganism based belief system as well!

    There’s Druidry, whose focused is nature, poetry, and divine inspiration (Awen), though this is typically less spell work more scholar. This isn’t the complete list.

    Poeaxtry is pagan-rooted but not Wiccan. I am more of an Eclectic Pagan if I had to choose. We choose our own path, a curated list of what works for us, from (ethical, not closed) traditions. You can runes, pendulums, smudging herb sticks you dry yourself, let’s use something other than white sage please.

    White Sage is native to Southern California and is sacred to
    the Chumash, Tongva, and Gabrieleno, indigenous tribes of that region.

    Indigenous people were legally banned from practicing their own religions, this included burning sage for decades. It is very disrespectful for their very oppressors to now sell it. Then use it as a trend while the Chumash, Tongva, and Gabrieleno, tribes still struggle for land and rights.

    Tell me in the comments where your practice live? The trees? A seat at your kitchen table?

    Or

    You could share one belief or practice you’ve reclaimed on your own terms.

    Any and all engagement & community building welcome!

    Tarot and Pendulum Readings

    Divination is not about predicting an unchangeable future. Through time, tarot and pendulum work have been tools for reflection, clarity, and energetic awareness.

    Tarot readings offered through Poeaxtry focus on helping people understand patterns, choices, and influences already present in their lives. The cards do not make decisions for anyone. They create a conversation.

    Pendulum readings are simpler and more direct. They are often used for energetic checking, alignment, or focused yes-or-no questions. I have custom boards for more in-depth responses and questions. For people who want clarity without overwhelm.

    These services are offered as support tools, not as definitive guides or fixes and NEVER as medical information.

    Spell Jars and Spell Bags

    Spell jars and spell bags are symbolic containers, holding intention, focus, and material correspondence. They do not replace personal effort or responsibility.

    Each piece created at Poeaxtry by Axton is assembled intentionally, using organic herbs and natural materials whenever possible. That is handcrafted in small batches, based on vibe. They are meant to be worked with, carried, placed, or incorporated into personal ritual.

    They are reminders and anchors, not promises.

    Ritual Services and Spiritual Work

    Rituals offered by Axton through Poeaxtry are grounded in purpose with intention. These can include personal rituals, seasonal observances, or energy-focused work designed to help people mark transitions, release stagnation, or set intention.

    The goal is to create something meaningful and usable for real life.

    Handmade Tools and Body Work

    Hand-whittled wands are shaped by the wood itself. Grain, knots, and natural form guide the process. Each wand is made slowly and deliberately, not carved into uniform shapes. Each wand base is foraged, and whittled, and crafted by me alone.

    Natural body sprays are crafted with botanical ingredients and intended for grounding, energetic refresh, or ritual use. They are not overloaded with synthetic fragrance or filler.

    Organic herbal tinctures are prepared using traditional methods and plant knowledge. These are not trend products. They are rooted in respect for the plants themselves and the people who use them.

    Stone Work and Found Creations

    Stones are collected, cleaned, sliced, or polished using tumblers or hand tools, then transformed into something new. Some are functional. Some are symbolic. Some are simply meant to make people smile.

    The Stony Homies exist for that exact reason. Spiritual work does not need to be humorless to be sincere.

    Wreaths and Earth-Based Art

    Crystal, bone, seasonal, vibe based wreaths and nature-based creations honor cycles, thresholds, and change. Materials are chosen with awareness of season and environment whenever possible. These pieces are not meant to last forever. Their impermanence is part of their meaning.

    Why Poeaxtry Exists in Paganism

    Poeaxtry exists because spirituality should be lived, not staged.

    At Poeaxtry the work is handmade, imperfect, intentional, and grounded. It honors pagan roots without pretending there is only one correct way to practice. It leaves room for curiosity, humor, and personal meaning.

    Poeaxtry is where the people are because that is where real magic lives.

    Through tarot, ritual services, handmade tools, herbal work, stone creations, and earth-based art, Poeaxtry supports people who walk their own spiritual path without needing permission or polish.

    This is living practice. Made by hand. Used by real people.

    Share this with someone who’s still trying to untangle Paganism from the stereotypes.

    Or

    With someone who is untangling Paganism from Propaganda

    Poeaxtry creations! Handmade items, digital collections, Tarot & Pendulum Readings, and more. Physical items only on Etsy! Readings only on Pay-hip/Gumroad. Digital collections on all three as well as kindle/amazon and Google!

    Links. Angel

  • My Missions Creatively and Personally Embodying Change and Differences

    My Missions Creatively and Personally Embodying Change and Differences

    What is your mission?

    Creativity Without Boundaries

    I guide every word I write and every project I create with a few simple questions. Who needs to read this? Who needs to feel it? Why am I crafting this? My mission is creative, communal, personal, and radically inclusive.

    Whether through poetry, essays, articles, fictional storytelling, or poetic narrative. My writing exists to reach people on an emotional level. This work aims to resonate, provoke reflection, and inspire action. But it isn’t just about words. It’s about building a movement. This movement revolves around how creativity is shared, judged, and celebrated. This is a care centered creative community.

    Growing and Expanding Creative Expression

    I aim to expand beyond non-fiction poetry into:

    Fictional poetry, narrative storytelling through poetic storylines or short stories, personal essays, reflective articles and other works of imaginative fiction.

    Each fictional piece is crafted to connect in an entertaining way. It serves as a bridge to my other more emotional and non-fictional creations.

    This expansion aligns with the growing importance growth as a creative individual and brand

    Building a Creative Community for All

    I am committed to redefining community in the arts.

    Safety and care:

    Crafting creative spaces where voices are protected, valued, and nurtured.

    Growth and advocacy:

    Through mentorship, resources, and collaboration that prioritize minority voices.

    Artistic freedom:

    Things like no paywalls, no educational barriers, no judgment based on perspective, identity, or credentials for minority creative people.

    Doing this we:

    Are actively dismantling the traditional publishing model that favors privilege and exclusivity. Every artist, poet, and writer, regardless of degree, background, or experience, can be published, shared, and spotlighted here.

    Community Collaboration

    Through free-to-read digital quarterlies, we spotlight minority creatives and welcoming allies. Contributors gain visibility without financial barriers. Our community thrives through care.

    Free submission opportunities for literature and visual art. Virtual and local open mic nights. Spotlight features for creatives, small businesses, and advocacy projects. Publishing, formatting, and editing minority manuscripts. As well as sharing tools, resources, and knowledge without gatekeeping the opportunities for others.

    These initiatives are designed to amplify voices that might otherwise go unheard. They also create a community centered on care and creativity.

    Consider this:

    Can you recall the last time you saw a creative space built to prioritize care over commerce?

    A space where emotion, expression, and truth are valued more than reputation or money?

    If you’ve experienced that before, please comment below.
    Tell me what inclusion and advocacy in creativity mean to you.

    Personal Mission:

    Live Loud, Love Fully

    Be loud, Love more, live more, and make more memories. Embrace sustainable, healthy, intentional living. While taking action for change, instead of just talking about it. I want to be someone I would have looked up to when I was six. While I live a life I will be proud of when I’m sixty-six.

    Every choice in my life, and every word on the page, aims to create real impact in the communities I occupy. This impact reaches both online and offline.

    Anti-Capitalist Values

    Living fully also means fighting for fairness and equity in the arts and society.

    Being anti-capitalist isn’t just an idea, it’s a way of living. I support independent creators and small businesses, trade, and barter, or exchange art, tools, services, and skills whenever possible. I dive into hobbies that are cheap, sustainable, and meaningful. Support shop local over corporate whenever I can. While I prioritize community connection over consumption. Each choice I make, from swapping a poem for a painting to lending my time to help another creative mind grow, is a stand against a system. This system profits off gatekeeping, exclusion, and unnecessary spending. Living this way keeps me rooted in action, not just rhetoric. While I ensure my life and creative work reflect the world I want to see.

    Being the Change, Not Just Talking About It

    I’m done waiting for others to make the world better while everyone just talks about wanting change. My mission is to actively create the change I want to see, starting with every word I write. Closely followed by every space I build.

    This looks like :

    Being the change for me means living loud, refusing to conform, and turning ideals into action every single day. It’s calling and writing my representatives, showing up at protests, lobbying for policies that protect marginalized communities. Creating art that doubles as advocacy, and document or challenge injustice. Community building and spaces where care, creativity, and equality are central. Safely sharing knowledge about laws, rallies, and initiatives so others can act, too. Then I spread the word, amplify minority voices, practice mutual aid, and actively support movements instead of waiting for someone else to lead. Every thing I do, I do in a manner that acts as a step toward justice, visibility, and collective empowerment. This is about more than saying we want change; it’s creating, showing up, sharing, teaching, and living the change.

    Day by day.

    Word by word.

    Act by act.

    Change isn’t abstract. It’s tangible. Every action. This is how I transform ideals into practice, how I make “wanting change” equal actual change.

    If this mission resonates, share this post with a poet, artist, or creative minority or ally. Especially if they need to see that art can be inclusive. Let’s show others art and literature can be accessible, without boundaries.

    Share it with anyone who you think would like to submit to community collaborations. Or anyone who might benefit from resources. If they could thrive in this community in any way or benefit, they are welcomed.

    Poeaxtry and the Prism is more than publishing. It’s an entire movement of community liberation in creativity.

    Submit your poetry, photography, art, or prose, and essays for inclusion in our digital quarterlies. Submit for free by form or by emailing poeaxtryspoetryprism@gmail.com

    Join a creative community and get involved in contests, critics, or virtual open mic nights. As well as curating your own collaborative content or joining in on others!

    Our spaces are for minorities, supportive allies, and anyone who believes in artistic freedom without judgment. Creatives, critics, silent readers, tech bros, and hype men all welcome.
    Discord Twitch
    Mod Form

    Poeaxtry’s Links portfolio
    Actionable change with downloadable sheets
    Be the Change
    Growth Poem

    Feedback?
    Questions? Comments? Concerns?

  • Day 11 of 100 Days of Poetry- “Beauty” a poem About Difference

    Day 11 of 100 Days of Poetry- “Beauty” a poem About Difference

    Day 11 sits in that quiet space where observation turns into truth.

    This poem doesn’t shout, it asks. It looks at nature and humanity. Then it waits for the reader to notice the gap between how we praise difference in the wild and how often we reject it in people.

    This is a piece about human difference, natural diversity, and the cultural resistance to letting others exist as they are.

    This is a window to the inside of humanity.

    Before you scroll, think about this: Where have you admired difference in nature but struggled with it in people?

    Where has it been done to you?

    Are you open to changed thinking?

    Let’s talk in the comments!

    Beauty

    What do waterfalls and the prints on your fingertips have in common?

    There’s no two exact matches anywhere in life.

    The flakes of snow prove the same.

    If nature relishes in difference,

    why can people not do the same?

    Historically, when someone is different,

    we as humans can’t handle it.

    Instead of losing your mind,

    embrace the beauty in human difference

    as you do in nature.

    Poet’s Note

    This poem exists because difference is celebrated selectively.

    We romanticize snowflakes, collect stones, hike through forests, and marvel at how nothing repeats itself exactly. Then we meet a human who doesn’t match the mold and suddenly uniqueness becomes a threat.

    “Beauty” is a reminder that difference is not a flaw, it’s the original design.

    Nature never asked permission to vary.

    People shouldn’t have to either.

    Difference is not new.

    It isn’t dangerous.

    It isn’t something to correct.

    The problem has never been uniqueness.

    The problem is discomfort, taught, inherited, and rarely questioned.

    If we can learn to admire the unrepeatable patterns in nature, we can learn to protect them in people.

    If this poem made you think of someone who has been made to feel “too different” or “too much,” share this with them.

    Simply to remind them that they were never the problem.

    Check out another day

  • Creative, Moral, and Queer Influences in my Life

    Creative, Moral, and Queer Influences in my Life

    Who are the biggest influences in your life?

    Influence isn’t just who inspires you when things are going well.

    It’s who shaped your voice, your spine, your boundaries, and your refusal to shrink.

    Some influences teach you how to speak.

    Some teach you how to survive.

    Some teach you exactly what paths you will never follow.

    This is a living map.

    Creative Influences, Where the Art Found Me First

    Before I ever understood craft or branding or audience, I understood feeling.

    These artists didn’t just make music. They made permission.

    Hobo Johnson, Poetry Wearing a Hoodie

    Hobo Johnson’s work feels like overhearing someone tell the truth in a grocery store aisle.

    His lyrics read like spoken word wrapped in everyday chaos, anxiety, longing, humor, and self awareness.

    He takes ordinary moments and pulls the emotional thread until it hums.

    That taught me something crucial, you don’t need spectacle to be powerful.

    You need honesty and timing.

    That influence shows up in my work when I write about small moments that carry heavy weight, the quiet details that hit harder than a scream.

    NF, Naming the Darkness Without Letting It Win

    NF’s influence is about how to talk about pain.

    He never glamorizes struggle, he dissects it.

    Mental health isn’t aesthetic in his music, it’s work, confrontation, accountability, growth.

    He shows that vulnerability and strength can occupy the same body.

    That mattered to me.

    Especially in spaces where pain is often exploited instead of processed.

    Snailmate, Experimentation as Survival

    Snailmate taught me that you don’t have to choose between chaos and intention.

    Their sound is loud, fast, sharp, playful, and deeply self aware.

    Genre lines collapse. Identity is fluid. Lyrics cut and dance at the same time.

    That influence lives in my refusal to make my work palatable for comfort.

    Art is allowed to be strange.

    It’s allowed to be fun.

    It’s allowed to be unclassifiable.

    Mayday Parade, Raw Emotion Without Apology

    Mayday Parade doesn’t flinch from emotional exposure. Mayday parade is an emotion.

    Heartbreak, longing, grief, regret, hope, all of it laid bare without irony.

    That sincerity taught me that earnestness isn’t weakness.

    Sometimes the bravest thing is to say, this hurt me, and I’m still here.

    Moral Integrity, Learned Early and Reinforced Daily

    Some of the deepest influences aren’t artists.

    They’re examples.

    My Mom, Teaching Me Who Deserves Respect

    My mom taught me integrity by living it.

    She didn’t make speeches. She modeled it.

    She worked in the IDD community and brought me with her.

    I learned early that difference is not deficiency.

    She had a lesbian best friend when that still made people uncomfortable in the early 70s and through her entire life.

    She defended people others dismissed.

    She showed up for the underdog because someone always needs to.

    That shaped how I see people, how I refuse hierarchy based on identity, and why I don’t negotiate on dignity.

    The Elders Who Helped Me Become Myself

    When I came out, it wasn’t a clean or singular moment.

    It was a series of brave, terrifying steps.

    Queer elders stepped in where systems didn’t.

    They helped me cut my hair when I was shedding an old version of myself and stepping into my next identity: Lesbianism.

    They helped me rebuild a wardrobe that felt like home in my skin masculine clothes and hair way back then. When I didn’t understand I could become a man, and I thought that was the only option. So I made it fit.

    The next group of elders taught me about binders, safety, autonomy, and peer groups.

    They connected me to doctors, surgeons, information, and access when I moved to Vegas and after.

    They didn’t just help me transition.

    They helped me survive transition.

    They showed me what chosen family looks like when it’s rooted in care. They taught me that the people from before who didn’t accept me now never were really my friends.


    Comment and share what influenced your creativity, your morals, or who not to be?

    Do you have influences elsewhere in your life you’d like to mention? Those are fine too. We appreciate your input and conversation.

    The Influences I Learned From by Rejection

    Not all influence pulls you forward.

    Some pushes you away from becoming something you refuse to be.

    My Father, Absence as a Lesson

    My dad had enough to give more and chose not to.

    That absence was instructive.

    Not in bitterness, but in clarity.

    It taught me that providing isn’t just financial.

    It’s presence, responsibility, and showing up when it’s inconvenient.

    I learned what abandonment looks like.

    And I learned that I will never replicate it.

    Political Power That Chooses Harm

    Watching the Republican political party in power push policies that strip rights from immigrants, migrants, people of color, disabled people, LGBTQ people, and start wars for wages. Then they ignore or enabling actual predators which is not abstract.

    It’s personal.

    It’s dangerous.

    That contradiction taught me vigilance.

    It taught me to question authority, to read policy, to listen to who is harmed and who is protected.

    It shaped my refusal to separate politics from lived reality.

    Because people live inside laws.

    Influence doesn’t end with what shaped us.

    It continues with what we pass on.

    I carry poetry, music, elders, integrity, and hard lessons into my work because someone else might need that map.

    Someone else might be standing where I once stood, looking for permission, language, or a way through.

    We don’t get to choose all our influences.

    But we do choose what we become because of them.

    If this piece made you think of:

    A queer kid who needs proof they won’t be alone, An artist struggling to trust their voice, Someone unpacking family, faith, or politics with honesty, or Anyone learning how to build themselves from what they were given.

    Share this with them to remind them they’re allowed to exist fully, loudly, and with intention.

    Where you will find real people, unfiltered language, and rough-edged art. Submit to the next Poeaxtry Prism quarterly by form or email Poeaxtryspoetryprism@gmail.com

    Poeaxtry’s links

  • Day 7 of My 100 Days of Poetry- A call for: “Creating Curated Change”

    Day 7 of My 100 Days of Poetry- A call for: “Creating Curated Change”

    Day 7 of my 100 Days of Poetry series is about intentional creation, refusing extraction, and building space for voices that are too often talked over, repackaged, or erased. This poem speaks to the act of creating with purpose, not as spectacle, not as trauma currency, but as documentation, resistance, and invitation. It is about community built with care, not permission, and about forward motion that actually follows through.

    Creating Curated Change

    I don’t write of

    trauma

      pain

    life’s unseen stains

    to pass an emotional buck

    Not one to complain

    Unseen pain outside of me

    I do not

    have not

    will not

    seek unsolicited help to

    shoulder a burden that

    no one can claim to own

    outside of me

    I weave words willfully

    immortalized receipts

    capturing points of view

    perpetually prevented from

    participating in literary and artistic

    mind meetings

    Expect me to be

    never

    asking permission

    from a single soul

    and

    stopping for the same

    Current and future people like me

    need opportunity to see

    other people’s perspectives

    that actually relate

    consciously communicate

    No more stolen

    minority

      makers

        manifestations

        through creation

    Curated creative community

    No more requirements of

    status

      education

        plausible politeness past

    wreck the walls that gatekeep creation

    Forward action, curating change,

    no more complaining with zero follow-through

    Creative creatures collect, creating change

    Poet’s note

    This poem was written as a refusal. A refusal to create for consumption alone, to package pain for approval, or to dilute language for comfort. The “curation” here is not exclusion, it is intention. It is about protecting creative spaces from extraction while still opening doors for those who have been historically shut out.

    The idea of “immortalized receipts” speaks to indie publishing minority works both mine and community, to proof of lived experience, and to the power of language as record. This piece centers community that creates with accountability, forward action, and care, rather than performance or proximity to status.

    “Creating Curated Change” is a declaration of practice, not theory. It challenges the idea that creativity must be polite, credentialed, or palatable to matter. Instead, it argues for community built through conscious communication, lived perspective, and actual follow-through.

    This poem invites readers to consider not just what they create, but how, why, and who is allowed to participate. Change does not come from endless critique alone. It comes from collective making, from tearing down the gates, and from building something better in their place.

    Links

    Speaking of community and creations don’t forget you can submit work to our first quarterly by emailing poeaxtry@gmail.com or submitting a form.

    Deadline is 2/12/2926

    Find out more about submitting here

    Best of Poeaxtry

    questions or concerns?

    Free digital collections in exchange for real honest reviews? Email poeaxtry@gmail or submit this form.

    Feedback?

  • Day 5 of 100 Poems in 100 Days, “I Hope It Burns”, F*ck the American Melting Pot

    Day 5 of 100 Poems in 100 Days, “I Hope It Burns”, F*ck the American Melting Pot

    Day 5 showed up after a meme. It said simply “immigrants belong in Ohio.” This happens to me when the world won’t shut up long enough for the words in my mind to behave. Memes, commercials, fragments of conversations, and other randomness become lines to poetry.

    This series was never meant to be polite, or evenly spaced, or emotionally neat. One poem a day for one hundred days isn’t about discipline alone, it’s about witnessing. Some days whisper. Some days yell. Some days light a match and wait. This for me is mostly about practice, honing my craft, discipline x2 yes, and seeing what my mind will produce for 100 days straight one poem every day.

    “I Hope It Burns” is a refusal poem.

    Not an argument.

    Not a debate.

    A refusal to keep explaining what has already been taught, erased, rewritten, and weaponized.

    It comes from exhaustion, repetition, and the surreal experience of watching history pretend it doesn’t recognize itself.

    This is day five.

    I Hope It Burns

    What’s going on in society today?

    fuck if I know!

    One thing’s for certain though

    immigrants belong in Ohio

    And Utah, and Maine

    Washington, Texas, California

    New York, West Virginia

    Florida, Nevada

    And the rest of the United fucking States

    This is so redundant for me to

    have to explain

    I feel like I’m going fucking insane

    Did we not learn in second grade, if not earlier,

    what the fucking melting pot is?

    I mean, if the only Americans are Natives,

    our ancestors with palm colored skin

    came here on a fucking boat,

    took lives and land

    How the fuck are you saying no one else can come here?

    The whole damn country is built on it

    Melting pot this, melting pot that,

    American dream washed-up bullshit

    doesn’t mean a thing

    when no one’s allowed in

    Would you like some crushed ice for that burn?

    Poet’s Note

    This poem is written from repetition fatigue.

    The kind that comes from answering the same questions, hearing the same slogans, watching the same cycles spin louder instead of smarter. It is not interested in convincing anyone. It is interested in naming the absurdity of selective memory, of nationalism that forgets its own construction, of classrooms that taught one story and adults who pretend they never heard it.

    The geography matters. The language matters. The anger is intentional, not decorative. This poem is not asking permission to exist, it is documenting what happens when the truth keeps getting told and ignored anyway.

    “I Hope It Burns” doesn’t end with a solution because it isn’t offering one.

    It ends with heat.

    With consequence.

    With the reminder that stories don’t disappear just because they’re inconvenient.

    Day five is a pressure point. It holds tension instead of releasing it. That’s allowed. This series isn’t a ladder toward comfort, it’s a record of days lived honestly in a country that keeps pretending it doesn’t know how it got here.

    Tomorrow’s poem might be quieter. Or maybe it won’t be.

    Either way, the fire doesn’t undo itself.

    Ice kofi

  • Poeaxtry_ is Where the People Are; Who Thrives and Why? A Deep Dive!

    Poeaxtry_ is Where the People Are; Who Thrives and Why? A Deep Dive!

    Hello Familiar Friends and New Names.

    And welcome where we are all people, first!

    Welcome to a space where we are all people first!

    At Poeaxtry_, I like to say that one of our mottos is “Poeaxtry_, where the people are.” But did I ever explain what that actually boils down to?

    Simply put: I don’t want to force anyone to find me. I want people who might be interested in reading, submitting, creating, or even just engaging with the emotional, hiking, or other free content I share, to discover me naturally and connect in their own way.

    That’s why I post the digital creations, and photos or videos I capture with my phone across social platforms. These posts share the highlights in text on the visual media, summaries in the captions, and links to read more if interested on my website. This site holds the “meat and potatoes,” also known as the full content. This leaves my work accessible to all fully in one place that doesn’t anyone to create an account to view. However subscribers to the website do receive a reward, but I’m probably getting ahead of myself. We’ll get all of that and more soon!

    Quality is Key

    There’s a difference between followers and believers, between noise and signal, between people who swipe and people who stay. Subscribers mean nothing when the numbers aren’t noticing or notifying. Numbers are nothing if they aren’t the people you resonate with.

    This post is a deep dive into the kinds of creators, readers, contributors, critics and community members who thrive at Poeaxtry_ and The Poetry Prism. I’m including a small reminder of our ethos that holds it all together.

    This isn’t about chasing numbers or chasing dopamine. It’s about quality, intention, and connection.

    Who Thrives Here?

    Readers Who Connect.

    People who may read something more than once to see what else is hiding.

    They look for depth over new discovery, connection over content trends.

    They pause, reflect, and engage with work that might challenge societies views or refuse pretend peacefulness.

    Creators Who Make With Purpose

    Not hobbyists. Not algorithm chasers.

    They craft poems like prayers, build zines like love letters, or publish work that has purpose.

    These creators make not for only applause, but because their work demands to hold space.

    Marginalized Voices & Intersectional Art

    We built this space because such spaces were scarce:

    LGBTQ+ voices, Disabled creatives, Neurodivergent makers, people in recovery, creators of color, and other communities America keeps attacking.

    This is visibility with intention, support with structure, and room without hierarchy.

    Contributors & Collaborators Who Grow Together

    This is a working ecosystem, not a pond of competitors.

    Here, people:

    Give and receive constructive feedback, look at success as mutual elevation, respect identities, collaborate while creating creative comrades, compete in creative showdowns, and much more.

    Discord Twitch

    Who This Isn’t For

    Algorithm chasing creators who aren’t the same as creative people they are much different.

    If your goal is to rage bait or chase clicks, this space isn’t for you.

    We value substance over fake.

    The “I’m above you” energy? Not going to fly here.

    Harm, Discrimination, Prejudice

    We do not tolerate dehumanizing behavior.

    Bigotry or discrimination that is based on race, gender, sexuality, disability, mental health, or any other immutable identity ends your collaboration here immediately.

    This is a safe creative community no slut shaming, body shaming, or politics. Transgender identity isn’t politics if you think so I don’t think you need me to tell me shit,

    poeaxtry’s website (updated first) Shared to mainstream & emerging social platforms Direct community spaces Publishing & sales: Amazon/Kindle, Google Play Books, Etsy, Gumroad, Payhip

    At Poeaxtry_ we are not tied to a single platform, always expanding.

    Community Spaces & Engagement

    I’m building safe, collaborative spaces for writers, artists, and makers:

    Discord with Collaborative threads, competitions, open mic nights, custom roles for interactions, and more. Feedback invited, not forced; silence allowed. Rest & presence valued over performance always.

    Publishing & Opportunities

    Poeaxtry’s Poetry Prism offers:

    Free publishing for minority indie creators: poetry, prose, visual art, mixed media, experimental work and Indie spotlights for indie creatives and small businesses Collaborative projects, resource sharing, critique circles

    2026 Initiatives

    Our new Quarterly digital magazine with open submissions, my own features, resource guides, advice sections addressing current issues, and open budget friendly calls for submissions.

    Also be looking for virtual and local open mic nights

    This is the ecosystem for those who thrive here creating, collaborating, connecting, and building together.

    Values Hold Poeaxtry_ Together

    Integrity, respect, care.

    Bigotry, discrimination, or harm ends collaboration immediately.

    We realistically can’t do full vetting or background checks but we know the truth surfaces naturally. Then we will act accordingly.

    This isn’t a growth strategy.

    This is a creative home for people who:

    Read meaningfully, create with care, connect generously, and Build community over content creating trend climbing.

    Your voice matters here. So if it’s genuine, grounded, and human come connect !

    Welcome to Poeaxtry_ and The Poetry Prism.

    Links portfolio kofi coffee?

    Google business reviews Goodreads

  • Day Three Poem: Hurt Like This by Axton N.O. Mitchell

    Day Three Poem: Hurt Like This by Axton N.O. Mitchell

    Day three of my 100-poem series… sometimes the calendar moves, but our hearts stay behind, carrying the weight of absence, echoing in the spaces others fill with celebration.

    Hurt Like This

    Another year

    Another empty space

    this is just another day.

    You all can celebrate your

    holiday, cheer,

    somewhere not near to me.

    Can’t you see? This is just another

    day to me.

    Except if it were just a day

    would it hurt like this?

    Poet’s Note:

    This poem leans into the quiet ache of holidays when they don’t feel joyful… that tension between the world’s celebration and your own emptiness can be sharp. I wrote it to honor that feeling, unfiltered, because acknowledging hurt is part of moving through it.

    Some days carry weight that no calendar can explain… and some poems are just for naming it.

    Day two day one 100

  • Things are Changing for Poeaxtry Community Collaborations

    Things are Changing for Poeaxtry Community Collaborations

    Shifting the Prism’s Collaborations Into a Quarterly Publication

    The why behind Collaborations

    I launched community collabs with one goal to create publications for marginalized voices to be heard. (I wanted to help their art be seen too, of course, and their business be found.) To be read by others would then be able to find voices similar to their own. Themed calls gave structure, that I thought would help. However, I like art when the creator feels compelled to create it, not when it’s created per a submission theme.

    Why I’m Changing the Model

    It became clear that themes sometimes act as invisible boundaries. They shaped not only what people created, but who felt comfortable submitting. Themes feel a bit too much like gatekeepers, for my comfort. Hear me out, you had to fit the art, poem, or essay in like a key based on theme.

    That contradicts who I am or whom I want to be. I want this space to belong to the creators themselves. I want to invite people to bring what’s real. What’s needed, even if it doesn’t fit.

    So I decided: no more themes. Instead, I’m opening Poeaxtry up to open‑theme quarterly magazines. I was already planning a Quarterly & this fits the bill.


    Any suggestions on names? Guesses welcome!

    This change isn’t a retreat. It’s expansion. By removing themes, the door stays open wider for more voices, more art, more perspectives. By increasing frequency, I can amplify more people across time.

    What’s Changing: The New Quarterly Model

    Open‑theme submission calls:
    poetry, prose, art,or essays


    rights stay with creators:
    you keep your work. Poeaxtry curates and publishes but does not claim ownership or restrict distribution.
    Contributor bios, links, and photos welcome!

    Free ads space to minority‑owned shops, indie authors, small businesses to support community visibility.

    Digital magazine format means no forced downloads
    Eliminates 4 bulky PDFs a year.
    Always Viewable online
    Readers & Contributors now can share by link

    2026 Quarterly Schedule

    (Submission + Publication Dates may change slightly!)

    Q1 2026 (First Edition)

    Taking submissions: now– Feb 12, 2026

    Launch: Mar 8–15, 2026

    Q2 2026 (Second Edition)

    Taking submissions: March 9-May 5th

    Launch: Jun 5–12, 2026

    Q3 2026 (Third Edition)

    Taking submissions:Jun 5 – Aug 5, 2026

    Sep 5–12, 2026

    Q4 2026 (Fourth Edition)

    Taking submissions: Sep 5 – Oct 31, 2026

    Launch: Dec 5–12, 2026

    Note: The first edition will include existing submissions from the original themed collabs. It will also include any new open-theme submissions received during the submission window. Future editions will be fully open‑theme. The last quarter is stretched out because of holidays, birthdays, and death days.

    What This Means for Contributors & Community

    You’re free to send your work when you feel ready. This includes poetry, art, essays, and prose, just like before, just no need to match a theme. The spotlights from the website will be shared in the quarterly as well. The magazine lives online, shareable by link. More frequent releases = more opportunities for visibility, community building, connection.

    What Happens to the Original Themed submissions?

    Their submitted work will be included in the first quarterly edition as long as they consent.

    No more waiting.
    Just art, voices, visions.

    Your Voice Matters, Always

    Poeaxtry was born from a belief that the best art comes from the darkest places. That minority voices of every difference have stories and voices that matter. Lastly, to build a community for all of us to share our creations with each other and the world.

    This shift isn’t a change of heart, it’s evolution. As the world shifts, as art shifts, as voices shift, we must too…

    Shift.

    If you’re a minority artist, an ally writer, a survivor turned storyteller. Send in your voices or visions to Poeaxtryspoetryprism@gmail.com or submit this form.

    Small business owners, entrepreneurs, indie-creatives, communities, etc. send your ads to the above email or form as well!

    To have a Spotlight post on the website fill out this form or email Poeaxtry@gmail.com
    To review ebooks and other digital items in exchange for honest reviews, use this form

    Thank you for being here. Let’s start building community.

    Axton N. O. Mitchell

  • Colors in the Sky: A Poem of Memory, Loss & My Mother’s Sunset Light

    Colors in the Sky: A Poem of Memory, Loss & My Mother’s Sunset Light

    I was inspired by the sky Monday evening… blue, pink, and purple. In that moment I realised how my mother learned to paint. Four years after she died, every sunrise and every slow‑burn sunset feels like her newly found brush‑stroke across the horizon. This poem invites you into the space where loss becomes colour and presence becomes visible light.

    The view that inspired this poem.

    “Four Years Later, She Paints”

    The sky’s been a little more beautiful since she left.

    Four years now,

    and she still finds her way back,

    not just in dreams,

    but also in color.

    Pink, blue, purple,

    the hue of the view she painted

    this evening

    the kind that makes you stop mid‑sentence,

    just to take another look.

    Never painted a day in her life,

    she paints now.

    Every sunrise, every slow‑burn sunset,

    she’s learned a language that allows her to share even when she’s no longer there

    Somehow I know she mixes those shades

    just to show she misses us too.

    And sometimes,

    I think it’s her way of saying

    I love you,

    now that her words

    don’t

    reach

    our

    ears.

    Poets Notes

    This poem came from noticing the sky and realising it carried messages from the one meant the most… My mother wasn’t the painter she is now, in her absence she became an artist in the sky. Seeing those colours reminded me she’s still at work… even when I can’t hear her voice. Writing this piece helped me feel her presence not as a memory trapped in time, but as light moving, transforming, still reaching out.

    Even when words fail us, love remains visible. This piece is a reminder to look up, to notice colour, and to feel the presence of those we’ve lost in the world around us. Let this poem and photo stand together as proof: what’s lost isn’t gone, it’s just changed form.