100,000,000,000,000 poems

The wild horse champs the Parthenon's top frieze
For tea cucumber sandwiches a scone
Replies like this the dumbstruck brain may tease
The thumb- and finger-prints of Al Capone
The roundabout eats profits made on swings
Signalling gauchos very rarely shave
Proud death quite il-le-gi-ti-mate-ly stings
As sleeping-bags the silent landscape pave
The wolf devours both sheep and shepherdess
With gravity at gravity's great cog
On wheels the tourist follows hos hostess
Their sculptors did our best our hulks the clog
And let you off from your opinions glum
In cognac brandy is Bacardi rum?


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.