Western Civilisation Comes To The East Poem by Sheena Blackhall

Wagner thundered over Vienna airwaves
Deep into Indian airspace.
As the plane descended onto the racing runway
A brown doll on a beach flashed on the in-flight screen
Its hair was matted with salt or spit or spray (Perhaps all three)
Its bright skirt raised by the tide

A plump European hand
Exploratively ran the gamit of paedophilia
Fondled the small thigh
Child Abuse is not a pecadillo. It's a crime
The warning flashed in German, English, Hindi

After the passport queues
The forms
The fans
Whirring like hovercrafts above our heads
Remarkably, a red light at a junction said
'RELAX' Rather than STOP.