The Whale Considers Human Intelligence
written by: Steven Bruce
A whale surfaces
beside a cargo ship.
The vessel is longer
than any creature
the whale has ever met.
Its engines shake the sea.
The whale wonders
what kind of mind
could build such a thing.
Years pass,
and the whale
learns the answer.
The same mind
that mapped the stars,
that split the atom,
that filled the ocean
with plastic bags.
One evening,
the whale sees
a floating shoe.
It circles it twice,
then continues south.
Steven Bruce is an award-winning author whose poetry and short stories have appeared in international anthologies and magazines. He holds an MA in Creative Writing from Teesside University and explores themes of trauma, survival, and the human condition. Born in England, he now writes full-time in Poland.
Latest posts by Steven Bruce (see all)
- The Whale Considers Human Intelligence - July 23, 2026
