There is just something about the sea.
far away
past life’s crashing momentum
dancing out into its nothingness
lies the vast engulfing arms
of the sea
standing at the brink
where the land and ocean kiss
sighs a turbulent heart
the huge roaring mass of foam
crawls lightly over the sand
then
the pushy current pulls
the reluctant ocean fingers
back out to the depth
of the green, blue-black sea
heavy-burdened chest
heaves a squall of relief
as the tide rolls far out
and away
leaving the steady roll of the waves
and peaceful oblivion
4/7/2026
I changed lay to lies and "sighs one turbulent of heart" to "Sighs a turbulent heart". I like this a lot better. Thanks for helping me craft this piece better.
3/28/2026
The Words That Got to Me
I like your use of the homonyms in your title. It immediately alerts the reader that there is much to see in the sea that we haven't yet seen. A depth of meaning we don't ordinarily look for but which is there nonetheless. Your words are like a personification of the sea giving it feelings, motivation and emotions. Almost like it comes onto land with the incoming tide, doesn't like what it sees, so it retreats away again. I see your poem has no punctuation. I like that. Leave the reader to put their own in as they read it.
3/30/2026
The Words That Got to Me
“standing at the brink where the land and ocean kiss” really stood out to me. It’s such a simple image but it immediately puts you right there in the moment. I also liked “heavy-burdened chest heaves a squall of relief.” That line really ties the emotion of the piece to the movement of the sea.
This feels very reflective in a quiet way. The movement of the tide mirrors the emotional release nicely, and by the end the poem settles into a sense of calm that feels earned. I especially liked the closing image with the steady roll of the waves. It leaves the reader in a peaceful place.
3/31/2026
The Words That Got to Me
I loved these lines: past life’s crashing momentum lays the vast engulfing arms of the sea leaving the steady roll of the waves and peaceful oblivion There is something magical and healing about standing , gazing out to sea and you really captured that here.
Suggestions / Possible Tweaks
The word 'demandingly' seemed to stand out a little here. Demanding or endlessly demanding or relentless in its demands might have worked better?
Overall, I found this a powerful and striking poem, capturing the grandeur and power of the sea. I very much enjoyed reading it.
4/7/2026
You had a great point about "demandingly" I took that word our and it made the poem much stronger. Thank you.
4/1/2026
The Words That Got to Me
past life’s crashing momentum dancing out into its nothingness **I love the dichotomy you've created: up close life pain versus the further-out perspective of its nothingness. It pretty much summarizes why we all love to be near the water, I think! the huge roaring mass of foam crawls lightly over the sand *This is such an amalgam of descriptive words that create a very powerful mental image. standing at the brink where the land and ocean kiss *poetic but not "goofy-poetic." That can be a fine line, right? You stayed on the "non-goofy" side, I feel. heaves a squall of relief *this is my personal favorite.
Suggestions / Possible Tweaks
demandingly *this word feels too Harlequin Romance for my personal taste. sighs one turbulent of heart *And this feels kind of Elizabethan or even Victorian. Stilted.
Lots of sensory-infused words here (Hey, are you an excellent English teacher or something??) Very nicely done. I enjoyed reading this very much. xoxo
4/7/2026
Two wonderful points, my friend. I took the word "demandingly" out and then I changed "sighs one turbulent heart" to "sighs a turbulent heart" and both of those changes made my poem much, much stronger. Thank you.
3/28/2026
The Words That Got to Me
The poem stands out for its visual imagery. You evoke the essence of the sea and bring it vividly to life. “the huge roaring mass of foam crawls lightly over the sand” Is such a clash of contrasts and works so well to show power giving way to gentleness. “Ocean fingers” is probably one of the best images in the poem. That’s memorable and visual.
Suggestions / Possible Tweaks
“lays the vast engulfing arms of the sea” may work with a better word choice... “lie the vast engulfing arms of the sea” “sighs one turbulent of heart” is certainly poetic, but also a tad awkward grammatically. It reads a bit like inverted or archaic phrasing.
What you have created here, Michaela, is a superb example of show, don't tell. It reads as more than a simple poem about the sea. I feel it is about emotional release, standing at the sea as a metaphor for letting something go, and its strength lies very much in its flowing structure and imagery. The ending— “leaving the steady roll of the waves and peaceful oblivion”—grants us the calm ending after the movement leading to it. A moment of emotional release, exhaustion, surrender, or acceptance. A breath before the next wave rolls in.