it’s called a Hawser and is the thick cable or rope used for towing/mooring a ship

This is a line designed to hold in place a moving object that can be easily in excess of 10000 tons. AND THEY CAN BREAK FROM THAT TENSION ALONE.

You’ve heard of the term, “Going haywire,” right? Ever spared a thought to why that term exists?

See, time was there was a prototype automatic hay-baler. But this was in that magic period juuust before we really got into standardized sizes. So calibration of the machine was handled manually - a mix of guessing and learning from the results of guessing. If you’ve read Raising Steam by Sir Terry Pratchett you know that many people don’t get to learn from the results of their own guesses, due to being dead.

A poorly calibrated hay-baler had the mechanical strength to smush the hay into a tight bundle, wrap the wire around it, and tie that wire off to maintain the bale’s form. But the pressure of the over-packed hay was a constant outward force. Each bale made by an over-tight baler was potential energy in physical form. We have a word for “potential energy in physical form” and that word is “bomb.”

So sometimes, a man would toss a hay bale and it would land with a twang and the man who’d been reaching down to pick it up where it landed was dead.

Thank you so much for saying that! It means a lot to me to hear that. I was also able to immediately figure out my list as soon as I saw this question today, so I am excited to share! In no particular order:

The Bone People

Keri Hulme

This book really moved me in it's depictions of restorative justice, queer chosen family, asexual identity, and spirals are now a part of my own spiritual practice because of this book.

Beyond the Pale

Elana Dykewomon

The best queer historical fiction that I have ever read. It has an earthy and intense understanding of queer history that most books can't comprehend.

Dear Senthuran

Akwaeke Emezi

This book understood something about me that I still have yet to comprehend. Cannot sing its' praises enough.

Also I know no one asked, but as a bonus, my favourite non-queer book that I have ever read:

Right Story, Wrong Story

Tyson Yunkaporta

This book challenged my understandings of truth and storytelling. I would recommend it to anyone who prioritizes stories and storytelling in their own lives.