Sometimes we wait for a prince to save us… or discover we must save him ourselves. Sometimes the Prince Needs Saved is more than a collection of poem. This is a season captured in words, 69 pieces of lived emotion, written mostly in 2025. This is a book for anyone navigating love, grief, identity, or the quiet acts of becoming.
Sometimes the prince needs saved cover
Within these pages you’ll find poems that speak to the fractured and the whole, the tender and the fierce. Moments of heartbreak, moments of discovery, moments when identity is questioned and reclaimed. Each poem is a witness to a life lived, a journey felt in bones, in breath, in quiet nights.
Whether you seek reflection, understanding, or just a voice that meets you where you are, this collection opens doors to introspection, empathy, and emotional clarity. These poems are intended for readers who do not shy away from the raw edges of life, who appreciate lyrical honesty and emotional depth.
The ebook is available as a PDF download, easy to read on any device and always ready to accompany quiet moments, reflective evenings, or moments of self-care.
Carry these poems with you… let them sit in your chest, echo in your thoughts, and hold your heart when you need it most. Sometimes the Prince Needs Saved is now available for instant download. Explore, reflect, and become alongside these 69 poems of life, love, grief, and identity.
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 saidthat 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!
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
What began as Poeaxtry_, my personal artistic persona and small business. This space was for self-published e-books rough Google Doc formatted, rockhounded items, and spiritual things. It turned into the Poetry Prism, a publishing arm and community centered on poetry. Though, over time, it became a home for indie poets as well as authors, artists, small businesses, and more.
Does the name “Poetry Prism” really fit what we do now? We are clearly not just poetry anymore and not just words on the pages. The Prism Publishing has been a platform for all indie creators, artists, writers, musicians, and small businesses for awhile. But to reflect this evolution and to make our intentions and community more clear, we are dropping the word “Poetry.” The Prism now stands as an inclusive, expansive hub: one name, one era, one identity. So Poeaxtry & The Prism is no longer just for short that’s the form fitting identity. Though the publishing based email will remain poeaxtryspoetryprism@gmail.com at least for the time.
A New Era of Collaboration
Our collaborative efforts are evolving too. Gone are the days of simple community PDFs, themed collections, that are free-read by download. Now, we’re moving toward digital anthologies: quarterly curated collections featuring minority creators and allied contributors. With permission from all prior themed individual persons submitting work to continue with the new model. We are transitioning those early submissions into this new format. Just moving forward, no theme restrictions either!
Each person may submit up to:
10 poems 10 digital art pieces or high-resolution photographs, 2 essays, 2 prose works from minority creators.
Allied submissions are welcome at half that cap above. Free small-business ads spots celebrating creators and projects, Curated resources for indie publishers, artists, and small business owners.
Important Dates:
The first submission period for ads, poetry, art, prose, and essays is open until February 12, 2026. This allows time to curate, edit, promote, and release the inaugural quarterly.
A New Era of E-Books
E-books have traditionally followed seasons of life, chronicling moments and collections as they unfolded. Going forward, e-books will be curated around themes now as well as seasons of life:
“The Man Who Was Never Enough and Somehow Too Much: an anthology exploring BPD and mental health.” Is a project for a themed e-book I have in the works.
I.I.A.S.D.: the first free collection, explored 13 poems written on the day the election results were announced in 2024. To continue this free series I.I.A.S.D. Volume Two: 2025, Year of Fear- A Political Poetry Collection.” This one will explore poems of policy, advocacy, and social change. This collection was originally drafted as “It is a Sad Year.” Though, the political collection will still show the expansion over the year following Election Day. It captures my original poetic reflections on politics, society, and lived experience.
These thematic collections ensure that every release is intentional, cohesive, and resonant. These collections provide context for the work. They also highlight perspectives and what future generations will call historical issues that matter.
What This Means for You
The Prism is now:
One unified brand, dropping “Poetry” for clarity and inclusion. A hub for all indie creatives, with poetry still at its heart, but no longer its only focus. A gallery of meaningful digital themed e-books to go with the seasonal anthologies. A space for collaboration, spotlighting, and resources for marginalized voices, allies, and indie creators alike.
This is our new era. A Prism shining light on voices, art, words, and projects that deserve attention—without confusion, without limits.
Welcome to the next chapter.
Forms
Submit to the Quarterly by emailing poeaxtryspoetryprism@gmail.com or form
Submit to Indie Spotlights/Shelf Space by emailing Poeaxtry@gmail.com or form
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.
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 !
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.
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.
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.
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.
November 8th marks four years since I lost my mom. Four years since everything I knew broke open and the world is still shifting in ways I still can’t fully name. Grief isn’t a straight road, it’s a labyrinth. It’s a mess and a maze all at the same time. Some days I walk through it calmly, breathing deep, grateful to have survived another turn. Hiking through places I knew my mother would love breathing in crisp air and I know then I can feel her there. Other days, I slam into walls made of memories, and I ache like it just happened yesterday.
People say time heals, but it doesn’t, not even slightly. Time teaches, especially how to fake it. It also teaches how to carry the weight differently. Some mornings I can laugh, work, create, and feel almost whole. Other mornings I stare at the ceiling and think about the space she left, a space that no one else could ever fill.
I’ve kept working through all of it. I’ve kept building my life piece by piece, even when it felt like holding everything together with shaking hands. I built this business for her, for the strength she gave me, for the words she never got to read. I’ve published my own work many times now, and I’ve even been published by others. Every success feels like a conversation I wish I could have with her. “Mom, look. I did it.”
There are so many things she’s missed.
The late-night laughs. The healing. The slow, quiet days when I finally felt peace again. She hasn’t seen my sisters growing up into young women… strong, funny, and fierce in ways that remind me of her. She hasn’t seen me learn to be happy again, to find joy without guilt. She hasn’t seen the forgiveness that never came from others, but still bloomed in me.
And then there’s my dad. That’s a different kind of grief, the kind you choose. I finally cut him off, and though it hurt, it was necessary. You can’t heal in the same place you were broken. That decision came from love. A love for myself, and for the memory of the woman who taught me what love should feel like.
There’s a hole where she was, and nothing fills it. I’ve stopped trying to. I’ve learned to build around it instead. And while I try to let light pour through it sometimes. It is hard to honor it on the dark days. Grief isn’t something you get over. It’s something you grow around.
Four years without her feels impossible, and yet I’m still here. Still writing. Still working. Still remembering.
Because she never left entirely. She just changed forms. She’s in every poem, every stone I pick up, and every person I help heal through my work.
Grief changes shape, but it never disappears. It becomes part of your story. And if you let it, it can become the fire that keeps you creating, surviving, and loving through the loss.
Here’s to four years of missing her, and four years of finding myself again in the space she left behind.
So here’s a revelation that’s about as obvious as the sky being blue: anything you haven’t done before is, by definition, something you could try for the first time. I know, mind-blowing, right? You don’t need a bucket list, a guru, or a weekend retreat in the Himalayas to achieve “first-time” status. You just need to pick literally anything you’ve never done and… spoiler alert… do it.
Think about it. You could try eating a weird flavor of potato chips.
You could try talking to that stranger who looks vaguely judgmental at the coffee shop.
You could try balancing a spoon on your nose like a toddler on a sugar high.
Anything.
It’s new.
It’s fresh.
And it counts.
There is no “too small” or “too silly.” If it’s something you haven’t done before, congratulations: you’re officially a pioneer of your own life.
Why does this matter? Because we spend so much time overthinking, planning, and waiting for the “perfect first-time experience” that we forget how incredibly simple the concept is. The magic isn’t in the grandeur; it’s in the novelty. Trying something for the first time. Yes, even something absurdly minor, activates curiosity, forces your brain to pay attention, and gives you bragging rights without needing a medal.
Let’s be real:
If you weren’t already,
life is mostly mundane, repetitive, and slightly disappointing. Trying new things is how you trick the universe into giving you a little spark of fun. And if it goes horribly? Even better, you now have a hilarious story that no one else has.
That, my friends, is first-time glory.
So stop overthinking it.
Look around. Pick something.
Anything. That sock you’ve never worn on the other foot.
That podcast you swore was “not your thing.”
That weird dance move in the grocery store aisle.
If you haven’t done it yet, it counts.
It’s your first time. And yes, doing it makes you smart, funny, and slightly rebellious. Yes, all at once. Or whatever your aim is to be.
The takeaway?
Life doesn’t need to be complicated. First times don’t need to be epic. You just need to try something new, even if it’s something small, ridiculous, or completely unnecessary. Anything you haven’t done before is officially fair game. So go ahead and embrace that inner smartass. Then go make the ordinary feel like a first.
Even if you’re just climbing a rock wall for the first time, eating sushi, or self-publishing. All firsts matter no matter how small or big.
