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SCRIVENERS WRITERS IN ABERGAVENNY
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BARBARA DANIELS
| Barbara
Daniels was born in Lancashire and now lives in Monmouthshire. Her poems have
been published in a wide range of magazines and have won prizes in a variety
of competitions. She has five previous collections of verse: "Dance with me,"
"Spin Again," "Mean Time," (NPF) "Camera Obscura," (winner of the Poetry Monthly
Open Booklet Competition) "Take Off" (Pikestaff Press). The most recent book is "The Cartographer Sleeps" (Shoestring Press: www.shoestringpress.co.uk) to be launched at the Ledbury Festival 2005 (July 8th. 3p.m.) Her work has been described as having "a formal grace and hard won beauty" and also as showing "a terrific sense of humour..." and an "inventive brain."
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ALLEGRO
ma non troppo
Someone conducts this garden from a score
marked with restraint: "Be bright but not too much."
The fuschia nods consent, the fennel waves
agreement - and they try - but on the staves
of branches hang too many notes. I touch
fruit, petals, leaves and hear the brightness pour.
It's overgrown with colour, quick and light
and far too much to keep within the plot:
the maestro can't control these laden plums;
blackcurrants riot as the quince tree drums
a roll...they're on a roll...they're off...but not
allegro any more - and much too bright.