100,000,000,000,000 poems

The acid tongue with gourmet's expertise
That horders of crooks felt they'd more right to own
His toga rumpled high above his knees
And empty cages show life's bird has flown
To one sweet hour of bliss my memory clings
Whose ocean still-born herrings madly brave
They both are right not unformed smatterings
Etruscan words which Greece and Rome engrave
The peasants's skirts on rainy days she'd tress
One tongue will do to keep the verse agog
And played their mountain croquet jungle chess
Lobsters for sale must be our apologue
The Taj Mahal has trinkets spice and gum
And lessors' dates have all too short a sum


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.