The Aquarium behind the Shangri La Hotel buffet table

They drifted lazily among the dead crustaceans laid out
so prettily on the blocks of ice
stopping every so often to peer
and nibble

Over at the corner a school of fish darted
hastily, this way and that.
Often moving with barely contained excitement toward
particularly tasty morsels.

Across the room, we saw
a very pretty angelfish with hard bright eyes
her jaws busily moving
as she chewed on shellfish and intrigue

here and there, were some very fat ones
beady eyes staring out of puffy faces
on the constant lookout for the newest titbit,
the juiciest cut; whose corpulence seemed

Vast and unmoving, until food appeared
then they turned into fast moving tigers
a blur of fins and toes and grabbing fingers
till the haze of food and blood died down.

Most diners never noticed the aquarium till after the meal
when bloated, they'd turn and watch
the peaceful sight
of shiny fish in an artificial sea.

Some never saw the aquarium at all,
because of the lights
you'd sometimes only see
the room reflected in the glass