100,000,000,000,000 poems

The marble tomb gapes wide with jangling keys
That horders of crooks felt they'd more right to own
Replies like this the dumbstruck brain may tease
Normal one aims to be and share the throne
The frisian Isles my friends are cherised things
Filching the lolly country thrift helped save
Proud death quite il-le-gi-ti-mate-ly stings
As sleeping-bags the silent landscape pave
The peasants's skirts on rainy days she'd tress
Shallots and sharks'fins face the smould'ring log
And played their mountain croquet jungle chess
Whiskey will always wake an Irish bog
And let you off from your opinions glum
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.