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The marble tomb gapes wide with jangling keys
His exaltation shocked both youth and crone
The showman gargles fire and sword with ease
The thumb- and finger-prints of Al Capone
They both are right not untamed mutterings
Filching the lolly country thrift helped save
The learning linguist cameramaniac sings
Till firemen come with hose-piped tidal wave
When dried the terrapin can naught express
With gravity at gravity's great cog
The country lane just thrives on farmyard mess
With breaking voice across the Alps they slog
With marble souvenirs then fill a slum
They're kings we're mammal-cousins hi ho hum


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.