100,000,000,000,000 poems

At five precisely out went La Marquise
When masons clutch the breath we held on loan
Old corned-beef's rusty armour spreads disease
'Ere meanings new to ancient tribes are thrown
The frisian Isles my friends are cherised things
When flame a form to wrath ancestral gave
In salads all chew grubs before they've wings
Thou homestead hillside woodland rock and cave
The peasants's skirts on rainy days she'd tress
And starve the sniveling baby like a dog
And played their mountain croquet jungle chess
With breaking voice across the Alps they slog
Ventriloquists be blowed you strike me dumb
A wise loaf always knows its humblest crumb


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.