Philadelphia, December

Plush cuts of meat on trays behind glass,

 two small grocery markets like kitchen islands,

 shelved jars of honey in different sizes and hues,

 a child clutching his mother as she orders pierogi,

 trays of chocolate hands, ears, eyes and hearts,

all and more to see here at Reading Terminal Market

 In the bustling Asian market midblock on 10th street

 the lone King Crab reigns unchallenged in its top tank

 above undulating eels and teeming bass in tanks below.

 In their lidded bin the large frogs all stare but do not move.

 The neighboring turtles swaddled in gauze don't stir either,

 passing their time in reverie now that I've come and gone

In this cold season there is an ice rink filled with happy skaters

beside City Hall and in its courtyard a floodlit two-tier carousel

resembling a motorized wedding cake spins at the exact center

of a web of booths selling aromatic candles, cider, Polish sausage.

The excited children all look happy. The adults appear well fed. But 

I have no satisfaction being without you among these happy people.