100,000,000,000,000 poems

The marble tomb gapes wide with jangling keys
Through snobbish growing round her hemline zone
The understanding critic firstly sees
While sharks to let's say potted shrimps are prone
And yet 'twas he the beggar Fate just flings
Whose ocean still-born herrings madly brave
In salads all chew grubs before they've wings
For burning bushes never fish forgave
The wolf devours both sheep and shepherdess
With gravity at gravity's great cog
And played their mountain croquet jungle chess
With breaking voice across the Alps they slog
Do bank clerks rule their abacus by thumb
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.