Public Toilet Poem by Karen Alkalay Gut

This is where
The gender difference
Becomes clear.
The way a man steps in
And out and the woman
Peeks into the stall
Checks for paper,
A clean floor,
Looks around for a place
To hang her bag,
Then shuts the door
Worrying the lock
Might not hold,
The hook may drop
The bag, the seat -
The seat - the seat -
Could it possibly be
Clean. Will the jacket
Skim the toilet
In the crouch
Position, will
The knees
Hold steady.

And let us say
The operation
Is successful,
And you have managed
To rearrange your clothes
With no paper
Clinging to your shoes
And you gather all
Your belongings
Together,
And you ignore
The fact that
Your hands have
Touched
All you
Hold dear
Before you exit
The booth
And clear the door
To the sink

Can you walk away
With the same look
Of satisfaction
As a man?