perhappened mag
issue 8: LOVERS
nasa says the universe
is growing 9% faster
than expected
J.T. ANDREWS
& 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
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.