The Second Aquarium

At the Hong Kong Supermarket in Chinatown, the tanks overflow with motion. Water trickles down from one level to the next, forming a staircase of containment. Crabs crawl over each other in the middle tier, fish swim in endless circles below. The price tags hang like quiet verdicts: $16.99 per pound, $11.99 per pound. The rhythm of dripping water echoes the sound of time—constant, indifferent.