Life, death, home, eroticism, and longing are themes that Orelli brings to life in his poems - poetically, sensually, with subtle irony and a penchant for interjections from other languages. Often written in traditional form, the inherited structure is playfully dissolved, and Orelli finds a way to counter the chaos of the world with the fleeting order of art. Sometimes the poet refers to himself as a clown or harlequin, performing in the senseless comedy of life, but he often also grapples with his own death. Orelli's humor has a strong and bright tone, whether he laughs at himself or at the dire state of the world. Alice Vollenweider.