The Indian Lavatory Attendant

The lavatory attendant rolls her eyes At filthy Westerners who wipe with paper The Asian drains can't cope with such excess Each sanitary sheet, thin as a wafer's Deposited in wire mesh open bins Where flies cavort around and love to caper The lavatory attendant sells the sheet Lifting her hand for tip, or paper fee Like a trapped butterfly in this grim spot Where sour-faced tourists step inside to pee All day she squats as graceful's a gazelle Her crimson sari's vivid in the heat Gold anklets, bracelets, earrings, nose-rings, flash On the wet floor, her slender, naked feet She hears each tinkle, sprinkle, plop and drop This low-caste girl, gem in a stinking setting The hiss of piss, the Westerners' complaints Who snub the water bucket douche and wetting And here you have it. Forest trees are felled So western bums can rise up squeaky clean's A squid, gold pants, a puppy Labrador The left-hand water way, they think's obscene Yet water's free. No packaging. No fuss So East or West, what's best for them, and us?