• Submit Poetry
  • Support SCP
  • About Us
  • Members
  • Join
Monday, October 27, 2025
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 Culture

A Riddle by Connie Phillips

May 8, 2019
in Culture, Humor, Poetry, Riddles
A A
8

Riddle No. 1

So astounding is this part—
A major muscle, like your heart.
And so astonishing its job,
Without it you would be a blob:
You couldn’t stand or lift or bend—
You’d be a pretzel in the end.
A couch potato you would be
For life, if you don’t set it free
With squats and stretches, lunges, presses—
Exercise that leaves you breathless.
Iliacus is next door,
And they both help support your core.

So, as I know you’re sure to guess,
I’ll give no hints under duress.
Just ask me what its name might be,
And I’ll reply, “It’s Greek to me!”

 

Post your answers to the riddle in the comments section below.

 

Connie Phillips is a former English teacher and editor living in Massachusetts.

ShareTweetPin
The Society of Classical Poets does not endorse any views expressed in individual poems or commentary.
Read Our Comments Policy Here
Next Post
A Line of Shakespeare Poetry Contest

A Line of Shakespeare Poetry Contest

‘Paper Flowers’ by Sathya Narayana

'Paper Flowers' by Sathya Narayana

‘On Seeing You Upon Waking’ by Martin Rizley

'On Seeing You Upon Waking' by Martin Rizley

Comments 8

  1. Horus H says:
    6 years ago

    Psoas major

    Reply
    • connie phillips says:
      6 years ago

      Horus, you’re spot on! It’s the psoas (a.k.a. hip flexor).
      Thanks for responding 🙂

      Reply
      • Horus H says:
        6 years ago

        Thanks for the riddle, Connie! That last line was a nice touch.

        Reply
  2. Horus H says:
    6 years ago

    Hip flexors or glutes

    Reply
  3. Alex Andy Phuong says:
    6 years ago

    The brain.

    Reply
    • connie phillips says:
      6 years ago

      That’s a good answer, Alex, as we would indeed be nothing without a brain or heart. But I had in mind the psoas muscles or the hip flexors, which are key to the body’s movement. Thanks very much for your response–I appreciate it.

      Reply
  4. C.B. Anderson says:
    6 years ago

    Poor me. After reading this, I thought “spine.” And that just shows that I’ve got none.

    Reply
    • Connie phillips says:
      6 years ago

      Haha! Thanks for your comment, C.B.!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.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

  1. Paul A. Freeman on ‘Lotus’: A Poem by Margaret CoatsOctober 27, 2025

    From 'primeval' beginnings to 'immortality' (almost biblical!), you have weaved a spiritual thread through this piece, Margaret, incorporating longer vocabulary…

  2. Laura Deagon on ‘Lotus’: A Poem by Margaret CoatsOctober 27, 2025

    Margaret, your Lotus poem is so sweet. I always imagine that lotus flowers are accompanied by invisible faeries. I enjoyed…

  3. Susan Jarvis Bryant on ‘Earth to Earthlings’ and Other Poetry
    by Susan Jarvis Bryant
    October 26, 2025

    Adam, thank you very much indeed! I'm glad to hear you find the dodo humorous. I think Lewis Carroll may…

  4. Susan Jarvis Bryant on ‘Earth to Earthlings’ and Other Poetry
    by Susan Jarvis Bryant
    October 26, 2025

    Scott, thank you very much for your kind and appreciative comments. I am glad so many of us on this…

  5. Susan Jarvis Bryant on ‘Earth to Earthlings’ and Other Poetry
    by Susan Jarvis Bryant
    October 26, 2025

    Martin, what a generous and inspirational comment. My Muse is dancing with delight and telling me to fetch my pen…

Receive Poems in Your Email

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

Join 1,619 other subscribers
Facebook Twitter Youtube

Archive

Categories

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.

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.