ZOOMRIMES

A posthumously published companion to Roomrimes (1987): an alphabet of 26 jaunty poems that capture ``Things That Go'' in witty, succinctly phrased, and impeccably cadenced verse that sports playfully with sounds, meanings, and expectations—a well- equipped ``Ocean Liner'' now lines the ocean floor; the vividly described ``Night Train'' actually brings the night; a ``Queue'' (a word per line, here, to emulate the subject) can move or break; and a ``Vacuum Cleaner'' is also animate as it ``munches,'' ``gulps,'' ``picks,'' ``laps,/until, at last,/its belly full,/it backs itself/into its lair.'' From ``Ark'' to ``Zeppelin,'' the poet offers a delightfully fresh look at well- known things. Chessare's understated b&w art quietly extends the humor while contributing nicely to the appealing open format. (Poetry. 4-12)