You sought obedience, tight and cold,
But where’s the warmth a child should hold?
Instead of guiding, hand in hand,
You built a wall I couldn’t stand.

A child can’t bloom on fear alone,
Respect is earned, it’s never owned.
Had you just listened, heard my heart,
Perhaps we wouldn’t be apart.

For love is not a crown to wear,
It’s in the way we show we care.
Respect begins with how we grow,
Not forced—it’s something we both sow.

#Poetry

You asked for respect, but never gave,
Demanded silence, called me brave.
Yet in your shadow, I felt small,
A voice unheard, no space at all.

You ruled with words that cut like steel,
But never asked how I might feel.
Respect, you thought, was yours by right,
Yet never nurtured, never light.

And when you’re ready, when you call,
Don’t be surprised if none at all
Returns the reach you thought was sure—
For time can change what we endure.

The hearts we bruise don’t always wait;
You can’t undo what came too late.
So if they turn, and walk alone,
Remember—you made that silence your own.

#Poetry
You don’t get to choose the time,
When hearts might shift, or stars align.
If once you pushed their warmth away,
Don’t expect they’ll want to stay.

When you held them at arm’s length,
They sought another source of strength.
The door you closed, once open wide,
Now hides the space where love can’t bide.

For Halloween Month

#CoSo

"Happy Monday, amazing crew! It’s the start of the week, so let’s kick it off like a group of champions who actually remembered to set their alarms! Sure, Monday might try to test us, but we’ve got coffee in our hands, determination in our hearts, and a full stash of ‘let’s-do-this’ energy. Let’s start the week with a bang, and make Monday wonder why it ever had a bad reputation!"

#Jokes

Why did the toaster break up with the bread?

Because it just couldn’t handle the heat and said, “I’m feeling too crumbled—we’re just not toastally compatible!”

Under the pseudonym “Ras Prince Monolulu” he appeared in the scintillating role of an Ethiopian prince. With his gaily colored costume—later also including elaborate feather decoration—he deliberately catered to the racist cliches of his time while at the same time poking fun at them.

His checkered biography took him from his native St Croix (an island in the Caribbean) across Europe.Whether as a paid model at art schools, peanut trader, circus performer in the German Empire and the Weimar Republic, or, ultimately, tipster at the major English horse races, Peter Mackay gained increasing fame. He made cleverly playful use of the colonial fantasies abounding in his European surroundings.

#Arts

The man in ornate clothing is distinguished by an air of thoughtful nonchalance. Mathilde Battenberg painted this portrait in a single sitting. The subject was first identified only recently as Peter Carl Mackay, who was 34 at the time.

The featured image spans about 20 light years at the distance of the Pleiades, which lies about 450 light years distant toward the constellation of the Bull (Taurus).

Here, three infrared colors have been mapped into visual colors (R=24, G=12, B=4.6 microns). The base images were taken by NASA's orbiting Wide Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) spacecraft. Cataloged as M45 and nicknamed the Seven Sisters, the Pleiades star cluster is by chance situated in a passing dust cloud. The light and winds from the massive Pleiades stars preferentially repel smaller dust particles, causing the dust to become stratified into filaments, as seen.

#Astrology Astro Photo of the Day

Is this really the famous Pleiades star cluster? Known for its iconic blue stars, the Pleiades is shown here in infrared light where the surrounding dust outshines the stars.

The final round was the Feather Finesse, where contestants had to dust a [Adjective] chandelier while hanging from a [Noun]! With one swift motion, [Name] removed every speck of dust, earning cheers from the crowd of [Adjective] fans.

In the end, [Name] was awarded the Golden Feather Duster, becoming the ultimate feather-dusting champion of [Place Name]!

[Name], a dusting expert with a reputation for [Adjective] swipes, entered the duel ready to face off against the reigning champion, [Opponent’s Name]. The first challenge was the Dust-Free Dash, where competitors had to clean [Number] antique [Plural Noun] in under [Time] seconds without knocking over a single [Noun]. [Name] moved so fast that the feathers became a [Adjective] blur, leaving the antiques spotless.

#MadLib

The [Adjective] Feather-Dusting Duel of [Place Name]

In the ancient halls of [Place Name], there was a competition unlike any other—the Ultimate Feather-Dusting Duel! Only the most [Adjective] cleaners could take part, armed with their finest feather dusters.

#Memes

Her career flourished, receiving commissions from prominent patrons and royal courts across Europe. Through her art and success, Artemisia Gentileschi not only defied the gender norms of her time but also paved the way for future generations of female artists. Her legacy endures as a powerful example of a woman who reshaped the narrative of women’s roles in art and society.

Through her work, Artemisia challenged the traditional portrayal of women as passive subjects, instead giving them agency and presence within the narrative.

Artemisia's accomplishments broke significant barriers for women in the art world. She became the first woman to be accepted into the prestigious Accademia di Arte del Disegno in Florence, a testament to her skill and determination.

One of Artemisia’s unique contributions to art history was her ability to portray women with a depth and strength that was uncommon in the work of male artists at the time. Her paintings often depicted strong, active female figures drawn from biblical and mythological sources. Works such as Judith Slaying Holofernes and Susanna and the Elders are celebrated for their intense emotion, bold compositions, and powerful representations of women.