& according to experts, tension is an essential element to the development of lean muscle
& a plant raised in a greenhouse will not perform as well as one born under turbulent winds
& a ring is harder removed from a hand recently held
& tension keeps the tightrope walker alive but too much tension and the tightrope snaps
& last night i cried to the trumpets of La vie en rose
& i’m sorry dear i am not tempered like steel i dreamed last night of you as North pole of you as South pole and i as equator wishing myself longitude
& still i am not growing fast enough
j.t. andrews (he/him) is a poet from Texas, but he is unfortunately not a cowboy. He currently lives in Colorado, where he works on self-portraiture and building bookshelves. His work appears or is forthcoming in horse egg literary and dreams walking.