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
Replies like this the dumbstruck brain may tease
And loudly sang off-key without a tone
To one sweet hour of bliss my memory clings
With sombre thoughts they grimly line the nave
A daring baron pockets precious Mings
To break a rule Britannia's might might waive
The genealogist with field and fess
What things we did we went the whole darned hog
Socrates watched his hemlock effervesce
With breaking voice across the Alps they slog
And let you off from your opinions glum
And lessors' dates have all too short a sum


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.