AT THE EDGE

Poet Elliott’s latest volume centers 14 unique species in disparate global habitats.

Rhymed verses combine science-based tidbits and funny wordplay, evoking the children’s poetry of Douglas Florian. Regarding the flamboyantly arrayed male peacock spider, Elliott writes, “When he romances, / this spider dances. / In jaw-dropping hues / this jitterbug woos…. / He hopes he will win her. / If not, he’s her dinner.” Another creature, the orchid mantis, mimics a flower to snag its prey: “Petal. / Pistil. / Stamen. / Stem. / You look like a flower, / but you don’t have them.” There’s occasional anthropomorphization, as in this two-word poem about the black rain frog: “Bumpy. / Grumpy.” Elliott imagines the axolotl, an amphibian found only in Mexico City’s Lake Xochimilco and named for an Aztec god, as both dreaming and smiling. The creatures in several poems need the backmatter’s contextualizing species notes to make sense. “Aye-Aye” begins, “No! No! / Never call it by its / name name. / If you / do do, / you will never be the / same same.” The note reveals that some believe that uttering this lemur’s name could bring bad luck. Robin’s collage compositions adeptly convey the species’ physical characteristics, from coloration to feathers, skin, and claws, set against generalized versions of habitats like desert and savanna.

A light and breezy, around-the-world look at an array of unusual species.