You are a human animal.

You are a very special breed.

Or you are the only animal.

Who can think, who can reason, who can read?

Hi, this is Michael Silverblad, and welcome to Bookworm.

Today we have the first of two very special shows with Kenward Elmsley,

a poet who performs his work, sets music to it,

makes the most incredible verbal confections ever to be imagined.

It took hearing Kenward to make me know that what poetry was capable of was far more than anything I dreamed of. He's supersonic. We're going to go from small works with Kenward Elmsley up to some of his labyrinthine constructions in the

course of these two shows, but I thought that we would begin with a lot of breathing space

with some of the haiku-like poems that occur in his newest book, Sung Sex.

What's the first poem?

Well, I'll start with no and no.

Two strangers came by, bow and arrow huntsman, no.

Axor of pine, no.

Leave them be as is, I said, the deer and the trees these haikus were written in Vermont where I live most of the year the next one I'd like to read is a TV lunch

VT steam onion harvest.

Fry garlic in olive oil.

Add smoked ham, small chunks, mince, coriander.

Combine.

Top off with young and restless.

Upscale. Okay. top off with young and restless. Upscale.

...