"I can be quite obscure and practically marzipan, " Mervyn Peake once wrote, and this small book certainly confirms that. From the macabre to the brilliantly off-beat, Peake's nonsense verse can be enjoyed by young and old. This collection, assembled by his widow, Maeve Gilmore, who also did the Introduction, includes poems and other pieces, from "The Dwarf of Battersea" to the unfinished "Adventures of Footfruit, " written over a period of thirty-five years. Peake was attracted by the absurdities in human behavior, seeing the kinship between men and women, between humans and animals -- or even natural objects. Words were shapes and sounds to him, and by blending his strong visual sense with his love of the ridiculous he brought a magical quality to his writing.