Today’s choice
Previous poems
Simon Maddrell
Bringing Pilates to Attention
Four years in Knockaloe was a living
inspiration for inventor Joseph Pilates.
His self-contained exercise in mental-
physical health spawned a method which
he called Contrology — corrective drills
grown within the camp. All of them
rounded up & shipped there demonstrates
the art of controlled body movements.
Alien detainment being The Universal
Reformer — a piece of equipment feeling
& looking like a workout rather than what
it really is — a non-regulated professional
practice. Albeit 3,000 guards won’t agree
considering their emphasis on alignment.
The Spine Corrector, Ladder Barrel and
Pedi-Poles were used for issues confined
to a prescribed area. However, there is no
proof that any of this improved balance
or even does now — proof that there are
only some things you can make right.
Simon Maddrell appears in Gutter, Magma, Poetry Wales, SAND, Southword, The Rialto, Under the Radar, and many others. Their sixth pamphlet is Patient L1 (Polari Press, 2025). Out-Spoken Press will publish Simon’s debut collection in Feb 2026. Find @simonmaddrell almost everywhere. Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/simonmaddrell Website: https://www.simonmaddrell.com
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