100,000,000,000,000 poems

At snuff no Cornish sailorman would sneeze
His exaltation shocked both youth and crone
Forms shadowy with indecision wheeze
And loudly sang off-key without a tone
The frisian Isles my friends are cherised things
Nought can the mouse's timid nibbling stave
The learning linguist cameramaniac sings
The nicest kids for strickiest toffees crave
The genealogist with field and fess
With quill white-collared through his life will jog
Socrates watched his hemlock effervesce
No need to cart such treasures from the fog
With marble souvenirs then fill a slum
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.