thermae

A girl in the pool rubs against her fella
rhythmically, discreetly

A man appears from below the surface
his mouth open
drool spilling out

I head for the sauna
to sweat in a pool of other people's sweat
adding my own to the mixture

We like to think we are clean, civilised
but we are not

We like to think we think of others
but we do not

No more than we ever did
no more than the Romans
(What did they ever do for us anyway?)

We remain the same
we always will
(What would changing do for us anyway?)

These waters will recycle
to another couple
to another's sweat
in another time

And still,
I piss in the fragrant shower.
But doesn't everybody?