Showering In Public

It's early morning,

I'm packing my backpack:

Computer and headphones and swimwear, but no towel

I don't like showering at gyms.

Never thought of why

Maybe it's 'cause I'm semi known?

I don't want anyone listening to my albums

while telling their mums what my ass looks like

showering in public, showering in public

This is me recapping my life when it comes to showering in public:

First grade, some guy at the pool kept his office

next to the girls locker room, drinking his coffee

while watching us shower. I don't know his story

Someone said he was a pervert,

I'm like, "Well, maybe he just liked coffee"

but the rumour alone gave us a sense that you

have to watch yourself while showering in public, showering in public

You have to use a towel strategically,

shower one body part at a time

Two times a week, we had gym class in grades four to nine

So that was two times a week that the

boys could sneak into our locker rooms

to try to catch us naked.

It became a tradition!

I still remember their bored faces,

like they thought we would get upset if they didn't show up

to watch us shower in public, shower in public

You couldn't shower, and then you

would get accused of being sweaty in public

At seventeen, in the locker room

one of the bathrooms was broken,

it had a sign that said 'BROKEN'

but some of the girls from the arts programme opened the door anyway,

found a guy who drilled a hole through the wall

to watch us all come in after gym and then, magically

shower in public, shower in public

They chased him down the hall.

The paper published the news with a fun caricature!

It's fun, come to think of it,

I know no less erotic places than locker rooms.

Sweaty women drinking protein drinks with sweaters but no pants on,

talking about kids and work and training,

blowing noses and laughing and complaining.