• Submit Poetry
  • Support SCP
  • About Us
  • Members
  • Join
Tuesday, October 20, 2026
Society of Classical Poets
  • Poems
    • Beauty
    • Culture
    • Satire
    • Humor
    • Children’s
    • Art
    • Ekphrastic
    • Epic
    • Epigrams and Proverbs
    • Human Rights in China
    • Music
    • Performing Arts
    • Riddles
    • Science
    • Song Lyrics
    • The Environment
    • The Raven
    • Found Poems
    • High School Poets
    • Terrorism
    • Covid-19
  • Poetry Forms
    • Sonnet
    • Haiku
    • Limerick
    • Villanelle
    • Rondeau
    • Pantoum
    • Sestina
    • Triolet
    • Acrostic
    • Alexandroid
    • Alliterative
    • Blank Verse
    • Chant Royal
    • Clerihew
    • Rhupunt
    • Rondeau Redoublé
    • Rondel
    • Rubaiyat
    • Sapphic Verse
    • Shape Poems
    • Terza Rima
  • Great Poets
    • Geoffrey Chaucer
    • Emily Dickinson
    • Homer
    • Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
    • Dante Alighieri
    • John Keats
    • John Milton
    • Edgar Allan Poe
    • William Shakespeare
    • William Wordsworth
    • William Blake
    • Robert Frost
  • Love Poems
  • Contests
  • SCP Academy
    • Educational
    • Teaching Classical Poetry—A Guide for Educators
    • Poetry Forms
    • The SCP Journal
    • Books
No Result
View All Result
Society of Classical Poets
  • Poems
    • Beauty
    • Culture
    • Satire
    • Humor
    • Children’s
    • Art
    • Ekphrastic
    • Epic
    • Epigrams and Proverbs
    • Human Rights in China
    • Music
    • Performing Arts
    • Riddles
    • Science
    • Song Lyrics
    • The Environment
    • The Raven
    • Found Poems
    • High School Poets
    • Terrorism
    • Covid-19
  • Poetry Forms
    • Sonnet
    • Haiku
    • Limerick
    • Villanelle
    • Rondeau
    • Pantoum
    • Sestina
    • Triolet
    • Acrostic
    • Alexandroid
    • Alliterative
    • Blank Verse
    • Chant Royal
    • Clerihew
    • Rhupunt
    • Rondeau Redoublé
    • Rondel
    • Rubaiyat
    • Sapphic Verse
    • Shape Poems
    • Terza Rima
  • Great Poets
    • Geoffrey Chaucer
    • Emily Dickinson
    • Homer
    • Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
    • Dante Alighieri
    • John Keats
    • John Milton
    • Edgar Allan Poe
    • William Shakespeare
    • William Wordsworth
    • William Blake
    • Robert Frost
  • Love Poems
  • Contests
  • SCP Academy
    • Educational
    • Teaching Classical Poetry—A Guide for Educators
    • Poetry Forms
    • The SCP Journal
    • Books
No Result
View All Result
Society of Classical Poets
No Result
View All Result
Home Poetry Humor

‘Pilates’ by Jeff Eardley

April 19, 2021
in Humor, Poetry
A A
14
poems 'Pilates' by Jeff Eardley

.

She started her Pilates class,
Upon the Internet.
The city was in lockdown,
So, she knew, some work she’d get.
She started on her webpage,
Working hard into the night.
She knew it wasn’t easy,
So, she had to get it right.

But she wasn’t good at spelling,
As her friends had often said.
For ‘though she was a clever girl,
She wasn’t widely read.
A small but such a big mistake,
She should have typed “PILATES.”
But got her “L’s” and “R’s” mixed up
And ended up with “PIRATES.”

She got to bed at midnight,
With her laptop stashed away.
To dream about the customers,
That soon would come her way.
Then logging on with relish,
At the rising of the sun.
Her Inbox it was bulging,
She was having loads of fun.

But on her screen were lots of guys,
With faces to be feared.
All brandishing their cutlasses,
And dribbling in their beards.
From Peg Leg Pete to Cut-Throat Jake,
With scars from ear to ear.
A Dead Man’s Chest with fifteen men,
Their bellies full of beer.

She knew she’d started something,
The Pilates was no more.
She had a different mission now,
Her income was secure.
The 19th of September,
Is the time, or so they say,
When Timbers all get shivered.
Check it out, “WORLD PIRATE DAY.”

.

.

Jeff Eardley lives in the heart of England near to the Peak District National Park and is a local musician playing guitar, mandolin and piano steeped in the music of America, including the likes of Ry Cooder, Paul Simon, and particularly Hank Williams.

ShareTweetPin
The Society of Classical Poets does not endorse any views expressed in individual poems or commentary.
Read Our Comments Policy Here

RandomPoems

‘The Lady and the Unicorn’ by Dylan Schrader
Beauty

‘The Lady and the Unicorn’ by Dylan Schrader

June 5, 2016

Gaunt fades the twilight, nearly gone, a weary world wearing thin Since last the unremembered sun smiled upon the land...

‘A Wing-stroked Spectacle’: A Poem by Daniel Moreschi
Beauty

‘Sunday Morning Flock of Starlings’: A Poem by Bruce Dale Wise

March 7, 2024

. Sunday Morning Flock of Starlings He saw, while driving down the roadway, off 288, a flock of starlings at...

Next Post
In Memoriam: Poet Leo Zoutewelle (1935-2021)

In Memoriam: Poet Leo Zoutewelle (1935-2021)

Four Poems on the Theme of Lost Love, by James A. Tweedie

Four Poems on the Theme of Lost Love, by James A. Tweedie

Two Poems on Transgenderism by Susan Jarvis Bryant

Two Poems on Transgenderism by Susan Jarvis Bryant

Comments 14

  1. Julian D. Woodruff says:
    6 years ago

    “Loads of fun,” Mr. Eardley, although I frequently scratch my head over how piracy was and is romanticized. Btw, just last night I happened to be thinking of Jesus before Pilate, then quickly passed on to Gilbert’s wonderful pirate-pilot nonsense.

    Reply
    • Jeff Eardley says:
      6 years ago

      Mr Woodruff, thanks for the comment. It is amazing that these cut-throat brigands ever made it to the movie screen in the first place. I think Mr Disney has a lot to answer for,

      Reply
      • Julian D. Woodruff says:
        6 years ago

        I agree that Disney (the company) has much to answer for, and the list grows. But considering the train– including Bellini, Stevenson, Cole Porter, and folk ballads like “Henry Martin”–I think Disney, the individual (albeit far more influential), was just climbing aboard.

        Reply
  2. Paul Freeman says:
    6 years ago

    Q:How do pirates know that they are pirates?
    A: They think, therefore they ARRRR!!!!!

    Thanks for the lockdown laughter, Jeff. And if I may:

    Q: What happened when Bluebeard fell overboard in the Red Sea?
    A: He got marooned.

    Reply
  3. Jeff Eardley says:
    6 years ago

    Paul, thanks for the comment and the two dreadful jokes which I will re-cycle whenever the opportunity arises. I think all this “Ooh Arr Jim lad” stuff started in the 1950 film version of “Treasure Island” featuring the great Robert Newton. He would have been horrified at the decimalised parrot squawking “Pieces of Ten”

    Reply
  4. Joe Tessitore says:
    6 years ago

    “Loads of fun” indeed, and any friend of Hank Williams is a friend of mine.

    Reply
    • Jeff Eardley says:
      6 years ago

      Thank you Joe, yes, he was the best country singer ever.

      Reply
  5. Susan Jarvis Bryant says:
    6 years ago

    Aaaarrrrrr, Jeff, me old matey… what a wonderful poetic antidote to all the woes of the world. This fun poem romps along at a sniggering pace and I especially like the vivid description of that scarred, beard-dribbling, timber-shivering crew. I will never think of a Pilates class in the same light. Thank you for my Monday grin, which is very rare on a Monday.

    I simply have to join in with a groaner of a pirate joke – be warned!
    A blind pirate goes into a bar. The bartender shouts, “No parrots allowed!” The pirate informs him, “This is no ordinary parrot, it’s a guide parrot!” The bartender says, “Guide parrot? I thought only dogs were up for that job!” “Well, shiver me timbers! Do you know how hard it is to get one of those to balance on your shoulder?!”
    Ouch!

    Reply
  6. Jeff Eardley says:
    6 years ago

    Avast there Susan and thanks for the great joke. Hope you can splice the mainbrace when the sun is over the yard-arm, and watch out for the Black Spot and any jokes about balls and brass monkeys. By the way, one of my friends has a grandson called Jack Sparrow.

    Reply
  7. Dave Hei Opep p.p má says:
    6 years ago

    We need light entertainment right now, so thanks for this piece!

    Reply
  8. Dave Whippman says:
    6 years ago

    Sorry Jeff , the above comment is from me. The weird name is some glitch on my kindle.

    Reply
  9. Jeff Eardley says:
    6 years ago

    Dave, your Kindle glitch name has a definite hint of the Hawaiian about it. I would keep it for future entries. Thank you for giving me a good laugh too.

    Reply
    • Dave Whippman says:
      6 years ago

      You’re welcome Jeff. I guess having a Hawaiian nom de plume in reserve could be useful!

      Reply
      • Jeff Eardley says:
        6 years ago

        I agree Dave. I would also recommend checking out a song by American John Prine, “Let’s talk dirty in Hawaiian” which is hilarious.

        Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


  1. Stephen DiLauro on ‘Biblical? Emblematic?’: A Poem by Stephen DiLauroOctober 19, 2026

    My grandfather had several apple groves on his fruit farm on upstate NY. I loved going there. I wrote a…

  2. Marguerite Crozier on ‘Biblical? Emblematic?’: A Poem by Stephen DiLauroOctober 19, 2026

    Stephen, this association is mentioned importantly in the Robert Harris book, "Second Sleep," a really good read, but not one…

  3. Joseph S. Salemi on ‘Every New Pantheon’: A Poem by C.B. AndersonOctober 19, 2026

    No, that totally escaped my notice. I just assumed that the first part dealt with the existence of divinities, while…

  4. Paul Freeman on The Blobfish—‘Mr Blobby’: A Poem by Paul A. FreemanOctober 19, 2026

    Thanks for reading and commenting, Gerard. These creatures in the deep ocean trenches are indeed denizens of the planet out…

  5. C.B. Anderson on ‘Biblical? Emblematic?’: A Poem by Stephen DiLauroOctober 19, 2026

    Not many things are worse than a phony sense of being, but many persons have no fear of falling. Good…

Subscribe to Daily Poems

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 1,660 other subscribers
No Result
View All Result

Resources

       1. A Guide to Writing Poetry

      2. The Best Poems of 2020      

      3. Poetry and Writing Contests

      4. Journals Accepting Formal Verse

Recent Poems

  • ‘The Siege on Castle Hill’: A Poem by Apollo Clark Co
  • ‘Every New Pantheon’: A Poem by C.B. Anderson
  • ‘Biblical? Emblematic?’: A Poem by Stephen DiLauro
  • ‘The Valley’: A Poem by Briana Reavis
  • The Blobfish—‘Mr Blobby’: A Poem by Paul A. Freeman
  • ‘Nature’s Family’: A Poem by Margaret Coats
  • ‘The River & The Sea’: A Poem by Rohini Sunderam
  • Poems by Derzhavin, Akhmatova, and Tyutchev, Translated by Kevin Rainbow
  • ‘After-Action Report’: A Poem by Joseph S. Salemi
  • ‘The Walking Wounded’: A Poem by Jeffrey Essmann
  • ‘Their Words, My Fault’ and Other Poems by Russel Winick
  • ‘Lazarus I’: A Poem by Jason Hunt
  • Poetry Challenge: Dictionary Delights
  • ‘In Defense of Rhyme’: An Essay by Euphrates Moss
  • ‘Gun Control’: A Poem by Kevin Ahern
  • ‘Power of a Pen’: A Poem by Janice Stanley
  • The Best Haiku of 2026
  • ‘One Night in Bangkok’ and Other Poetry by Brian Yapko
  • ‘Invocation’: A Poem by D.R. Rainbolt
  • ‘Enjoy the Peace, Prepare for War’: A Poem by Roy E. Peterson
  • Faust Part Two, Act One: ‘A Pleasant Landscape’ by Goethe, Translated by Josh Olson
  • A Song Inspired by Robert Frost’s ‘The Road Not Taken’, by Gunny Markefka
  • ‘Reappraisals of Mortality’: A Poem by C.B. Anderson
  • ‘What Is the Measure of My Days?’: A Poem by Peter Venable
  • ‘Polar Coordinates’: A Poem by Adam Sedia
  • ‘It Never Lies!’: A Poem by Paul A. Freeman
  • ‘The Mahjong Flowers’: A Set of Sonnets by Margaret Coats
  • ‘The Martyrdom of Saint Cassian’: A Poem by Joseph S. Salemi
  • ‘Mind Versus Beauty’: A Poem by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Translated by Eric v.d. Luft
  • ‘Summer Sails’: A Poem by Paulette Calasibetta

Categories

  • Acrostic
  • Alexandroid
  • Alliterative
  • Art
  • Best Poems
  • Blank Verse
  • Chant Royal
  • Classical Poets Live
  • Clerihew
  • Covid-19
  • Deconstructing Communism
  • Educational
  • Epic
  • Epigrams and Proverbs
  • Essays
    • Interviews with Poets
    • Poetry Reviews
  • Featured
  • From the Society
  • Great Poets
    • Dante Alighieri
    • Edgar Allan Poe
    • Emily Dickinson
    • Geoffrey Chaucer
    • Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
    • Homer
    • John Keats
    • John Milton
    • Robert Frost
    • William Blake
    • William Shakespeare
    • William Wordsworth
  • Human Rights in China
  • Limerick
  • Love Poems
  • Music
  • Pantoum
  • Performing Arts
  • Poetry
    • Beauty
    • Children's Poems
    • Culture
    • Ekphrastic
    • Found Poems
    • High School Poets
    • Humor
    • Riddles
  • Poetry Challenge
  • Poetry Contests
  • Poetry Forms
    • Curtal Sonnet
    • Haiku
  • Poetry Readings
  • Rhupunt
  • Rondeau
  • Rondeau Redoublé
  • Rondel
  • Rubaiyat
  • Sapphic Verse
  • Satire
  • Science
  • Sestina
  • Shape Poems
  • Short Stories
  • Song Lyrics
  • Sonnet
  • Symposium
  • Terrorism
  • Terza Rima
  • The Environment
  • Translation
  • Triolet
  • Video
  • Villanelle

Quick Links

  • About Us
  • Submit Poetry
  • Become a Member
  • Members List
  • Support the Society
  • Advertisement Placement
  • Comments Policy
  • Terms of Use

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Poems
    • Beauty
    • Culture
    • Satire
    • Humor
    • Children’s
    • Art
    • Ekphrastic
    • Epic
    • Epigrams and Proverbs
    • Human Rights in China
    • Music
    • Performing Arts
    • Riddles
    • Science
    • Song Lyrics
    • The Environment
    • The Raven
    • Found Poems
    • High School Poets
    • Terrorism
    • Covid-19
  • Poetry Forms
    • Sonnet
    • Haiku
    • Limerick
    • Villanelle
    • Rondeau
    • Pantoum
    • Sestina
    • Triolet
    • Acrostic
    • Alexandroid
    • Alliterative
    • Blank Verse
    • Chant Royal
    • Clerihew
    • Rhupunt
    • Rondeau Redoublé
    • Rondel
    • Rubaiyat
    • Sapphic Verse
    • Shape Poems
    • Terza Rima
  • Great Poets
    • Geoffrey Chaucer
    • Emily Dickinson
    • Homer
    • Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
    • Dante Alighieri
    • John Keats
    • John Milton
    • Edgar Allan Poe
    • William Shakespeare
    • William Wordsworth
    • William Blake
    • Robert Frost
  • Love Poems
  • Contests
  • SCP Academy
    • Educational
    • Teaching Classical Poetry—A Guide for Educators
    • Poetry Forms
    • The SCP Journal
    • Books

© 2025 SCP. WebDesign by CODEC Prime.