100,000,000,000,000 poems

The marble tomb gapes wide with jangling keys
The bull's horns ought to dry it like a bone
The understanding critic firstly sees
With cherry-pips his cottage floor is sown
They both are right not untamed mutterings
Signalling gauchos very rarely shave
They both are right not unformed smatterings
For burning bushes never fish forgave
It's no good rich men crying Heaven Bless
Shallots and sharks'fins face the smould'ring log
On wheels the tourist follows hos hostess
Southern baroque's seductive dialogue
Do bank clerks rule their abacus by thumb
In cognac brandy is Bacardi rum?


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.