100,000,000,000,000 poems

At five precisely out went La Marquise
That horders of crooks felt they'd more right to own
The Turks said just take anything you please
The thumb- and finger-prints of Al Capone
Oh how oh how he hates such pilferings
Rejecting ermine to become a knave
The learning linguist cameramaniac sings
Till firemen come with hose-piped tidal wave
Poetic licence needs no strain or stress
One tongue will do to keep the verse agog
And played their mountain croquet jungle chess
With breaking voice across the Alps they slog
Where no one bothered how one warmed one's bum
For Europe's glory while Fate's harpies strum


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.