This is my contest entry where the topic of the poem is 'Ocean". Whoever wins the contest this week gets to pick the topic next week. It's over on www.8hop.com if you want to enter as well. This contest ends Oct. 13, 2006, but there will be one each week. Here's the poem.

I remember the first time I saw the Pacific ocean

I was twelve years old

First, before I could see it, I could smell the salty air

But what took my breath away was when I finally got on the beach

And I looked out

And I couldn't see the other side

I had never seen so much water in my life

That is the closest I ever came to pure awe

The waves lapping at my ankles

The sand being sucked out from under my toes

The sandcrabs falling through my fingers and burying themselves quickly into the sand

The tiny seashells I filled my empty shoes with

And the pure freedom of frollicking on a hot summer day

Recently I had to defend this poem when someone said in essence, "That's not a poem, it's a conversation."

And to them I said they needed to read up on what a prose poem or conversation poem is. I cited this webpage: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/5787

I found out that is an excellent referece website for poets. I'm going to go back there now and read up on the "Adopt a Poet' heading. Sounds interesting.

Please, before you criticize a poem, make sure you are educated on the various formats.