Poetry Magazines - The best collection of poetry magazines online - Simon Armitage

Poetry Library Southbank Centre - The Poetry Library housing the Arts Council Collection at Southbank Centre

« Previous item
Contents of this issue
Next item »

Paul Donelly

print this page

Review

Scrins, Tony Baker, Pig Press. £5.50

The pleasure in the making of these pieces is evident and is conveyed throughout to the reader. There’s a playfulness in the language whilst still attending to the apprehension of the precise image, sound and rhythm of speech. There are moments of close observation, whether of people, the natural world or the workings of the poet’s mind and the agility of the sudden leaps between perceptions is breath-taking.

     There is an open, flexible feel to the work and while each piece may be seen as a finite, each gains from the context and emerges as a series of tightly written revelations focusing on the vitality and diversity of poetic language. It’s a difficult set to abstract from, but how about this,

icon

Bartok’s
woodblocks played by knuckle.

A nickel barrel-organ
on a Greek

back-street, beggarly grinder
plus monkey - Teeth can

know poverty
in a dripping tap, fingers

spite in
saints

thinly battered from
mean slips of tin.

     An individual voice showing a fine command of the language. A joy to read.

 

Page(s) 63-64

Back to top