COLUMBO

i am sitting stark naked
talking to a cop
a real-life detective no less
a slightly surreal experience
but no, not a dream or warped fantasy...
a bright winter's morning
mountains zoom in close against a clear blue sky
an hour of yoga has transported me into a state of blissful relaxation
i soak sleepily in the warm tub and then the hot tub
the cold bath makes me gasp for air
the icy water stings my painfully contracting skin
the air in the 1st sauna room is so hot and humid i can barely breathe
another cold bath plunge comes as blessed relief
the next sauna room is more comfortable
i strike up a conversation with two ajossis
one of them is particularly friendly
it turns out that he is a detective from the local police station
solver of crimes
catcher of murderers
our dutiful protecter from the public enemy
the nutters and the psychos
normally i would feel a tad nervous in the presence of the fuzz
law-abiding citizen though i am
but the language barrier distances communication
slows everything down
keeps things simple
sticking to familiar terrain
my linguistic comfort zone
personal info
work
family
although i spot his talent for asking questions
the reverberating walls of the sauna oven don't aid my rudimentary listening skills
of all the jobs out there to choose from
i think policeman would be pretty much near the bottom of my list
just above soldier and abbatoir worker
we exchange phone numbers
and head back into our different worlds