100,000,000,000,000 poems

The acid tongue with gourmet's expertise
His exaltation shocked both youth and crone
The Turks said just take anything you please
'Ere meanings new to ancient tribes are thrown
To one sweet hour of bliss my memory clings
Nought can the mouse's timid nibbling stave
The fertile mother changelings drops like kings
Thou homestead hillside woodland rock and cave
The peasants's skirts on rainy days she'd tress
With gravity at gravity's great cog
Socrates watched his hemlock effervesce
Whiskey will always wake an Irish bog
Though bretzels take the dols from board-room drum
They're kings we're mammal-cousins hi ho hum


Raymond Queneau

Translation to English by Stanley Chapman
found in "Oulipo Compendium"
Atlas 1998, ISBN 0-947757-96-1

Idea and implementation by Magnus Bodin 1997
Produced in the wonderful country of Sweden.