100,000,000,000,000 poems

The acid tongue with gourmet's expertise
Since Elgin left his nostrils in the stone
The Turks said just take anything you please
'Ere meanings new to ancient tribes are thrown
Oh how oh how he hates such pilferings
The North Wind Bites into his architrave
A daring baron pockets precious Mings
Till firemen come with hose-piped tidal wave
The genealogist with field and fess
And starve the sniveling baby like a dog
Socrates watched his hemlock effervesce
With breaking voice across the Alps they slog
Poor reader smile before your lips go numb
The bell tolls fee-less fi-less fo-less fum


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.