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
He bent right down and well what did he seize
'Ere meanings new to ancient tribes are thrown
Old Galileo's Pisan offerings
Whose ocean still-born herrings madly brave
In salads all chew grubs before they've wings
Victorious worms grind all into the grave
Platonic Greece was not so talentless
Shallots and sharks'fins face the smould'ring log
Socrates watched his hemlock effervesce
Southern baroque's seductive dialogue
With marble souvenirs then fill a slum
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.