A Story the Sea Still Tells
Long before roads and houses,
before engines,
the people lived by listening to the sea.
Each morning, fishermen greeted the water
as they would an elder —
slowly,
with respect.
One day, a fisherman cast his net
and pulled up a fish
unlike any he had seen before.
Its scales shimmered like wet stone,
and its eyes were calm,
knowing.
“Take only what you need,”
the fish said.
“The sea feeds those
who remember it is alive.”
But the fisherman did not listen.
He returned each day,
taking more than his hands could carry.
Nets grew heavier.
The water grew quieter.
Soon, the fish disappeared,
and the boats returned empty.
The tides changed.
The village felt the loss
before it understood it.
It was the elders who remembered.
They said the sea does not punish —
it teaches.
It gives generously,
but it asks for balance
in return.
When the people learned
to listen again,
the fish returned.
The tides softened.
And the sea,
once more,
opened its hands.
The Kushé Journal explores culture, place, and design across Africa and its diaspora.
Ann, Josephine. A Story the Sea Still Tells. Poem. Illustrations visualized by Kushe Designs, 2026.
© Kushé Designs — Culture in every detail.
