100,000,000,000,000 poems

At snuff no Cornish sailorman would sneeze
His exaltation shocked both youth and crone
Replies like this the dumbstruck brain may tease
And empty cages show life's bird has flown
Oh how oh how he hates such pilferings
That metred rhyme alone can souls enslave
The learning linguist cameramaniac sings
In purest cradels tha's how they behave
It's no good rich men crying Heaven Bless
With gravity at gravity's great cog
Socrates watched his hemlock effervesce
Bard I adore your endless monologue
The Taj Mahal has trinkets spice and gum
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.