Freshly Cut Grass by Terry Griffiths

Today, I did not wake and hyperventilate.

I did not reach for the sick bowl under my bed.


Instead,

While watching Rick and Morty, I easily ate

Marmite on toast

And Weetabix, coated in sugar as it should be.

Last week, I lost half a stone since I couldn't eat properly.

My BMI was too high before, apparently.

But I would much rather literal weight than figurative. 


On my way to the last day

Of the barbering course made a doss by covid,

I cherished the scent of freshly cut grass.

At lunchtime, I devoured my home-cooked chilli and sweet potato fries. 


I came back with freshly cut hair

And a head, at least for the time being,

Free from anxiety and its lies. 

About the Poet:

Terry Griffiths is @hardtokeepmyheartoffmysleeve on Instagram and Terrybyte on YouTube. His poetry discusses his everyday life, often including frustration at the fast passing of time, difficulty concentrating, and his fluctuating mental health and thus confidence in social situations. He also uses poetry as an opportunity to research various topics and include fun facts in the pieces – about animals, for instance.  Influenced by poets like Wallace Stevens, he give some of his English poems French titles. He also slips French words in the verse – sometimes to help with rhyme; other times just because he feels like it. He has been published in Mother Tongue Other Tongue, Resurgence -A Firebird Anthology, the forty-sixth issue of Dreamcatcher, Ink, Sweat & Tears, and HNDL. He also features on three episodes of the podcast Poetry Non- Stop.