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Gloss
Michael Lewis presents
gloss
as a work channelled rather than crafted—a dialogue from spirit, poured onto the page with a speed and sincerity he often describes as beyond his control. He credits the voices of dead poets guiding his hand, shaping a visceral journey through the abstract and the provocative.
gloss delves unflinchingly into themes of romanticism, addiction, grief, hope, prayer, love, and agony. Each piece is distilled with lyrical precision, delivered with the rhythm, urgency, and emotional thrust that define Lewis’s unmistakable voice.
The result is haunting, intimate, and breath-stealing—an experience you feel as much as you read.
gloss delves unflinchingly into themes of romanticism, addiction, grief, hope, prayer, love, and agony. Each piece is distilled with lyrical precision, delivered with the rhythm, urgency, and emotional thrust that define Lewis’s unmistakable voice.
The result is haunting, intimate, and breath-stealing—an experience you feel as much as you read.
252 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 26, 2025
About the author
Michael Lewis
340 books62 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads' database with this name. See this thread for more information.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
December 23, 2025
Amazing poetry!!!
Really enjoyed this book of poetry. Michael Lewis is a superb poet! I will definitely read more of his works.
Really enjoyed this book of poetry. Michael Lewis is a superb poet! I will definitely read more of his works.
January 29, 2026
“Gloss” by Michael Lewis feels less like a poetry collection and more like an emotional transmission. Lewis describes the book as something channelled rather than carefully constructed, and that feeling comes through strongly on the page. Many of the poems read like they arrived fully formed—raw, urgent, and deeply personal, as if guided by forces beyond the poet himself.
That said, this is not an easy collection to move through. I’ll be honest: there were moments when I struggled to interpret the poems and felt a little lost, even questioning my own ability to “get” them. But when the poems did click, they hit hard. Some pieces stayed with me long after I finished reading—Chosen After Death, Mundane, Doubting Voices Are Silenced, Brass Predator, Bend and Lend Love, Hopeless Heart, Remorse, Brown and Tinned and Tanned, Ocean in the Sky, Sea Lady, Valerie, Doomed, and several others stood out as especially powerful.
The prose throughout the collection is undeniably lyrical and beautiful, weaving through themes of romanticism, addiction, grief, hope, prayer, love, and agony. There is a vulnerability here that feels unfiltered and brave, as if Lewis is laying his inner world bare without flinching. Even when the meaning feels abstract, the emotion is unmistakable.
“Gloss” is a haunting, intimate experience—one that asks you to feel first and understand later. It may not be accessible to everyone, but for readers willing to sit with uncertainty, it offers moments of startling honesty and quiet beauty.
That said, this is not an easy collection to move through. I’ll be honest: there were moments when I struggled to interpret the poems and felt a little lost, even questioning my own ability to “get” them. But when the poems did click, they hit hard. Some pieces stayed with me long after I finished reading—Chosen After Death, Mundane, Doubting Voices Are Silenced, Brass Predator, Bend and Lend Love, Hopeless Heart, Remorse, Brown and Tinned and Tanned, Ocean in the Sky, Sea Lady, Valerie, Doomed, and several others stood out as especially powerful.
The prose throughout the collection is undeniably lyrical and beautiful, weaving through themes of romanticism, addiction, grief, hope, prayer, love, and agony. There is a vulnerability here that feels unfiltered and brave, as if Lewis is laying his inner world bare without flinching. Even when the meaning feels abstract, the emotion is unmistakable.
“Gloss” is a haunting, intimate experience—one that asks you to feel first and understand later. It may not be accessible to everyone, but for readers willing to sit with uncertainty, it offers moments of startling honesty and quiet beauty.
December 14, 2025
Gloss – Michael Lewis
Like Michael’s other poetry collections, Gloss spills emotion onto every page. From the tender dedication to his son to the intimate letter addressed to the reader, each word captures the heart and refuses to let go.
Some of my favorite poems from this book...
Edged
Doubting voices are silenced
Three gold seas - this one, so powerful
Caressed by blade and trauma - another powerful one.
Semi Smile
I’ve said this in previous reviews, and I’m more than willing to say it again: the author’s mastery of alliteration, cadence, and sheer devotion to language will leave you breathless and hungry for more. Within these pages, you’ll find words infused with power, vulnerability, and unwavering honesty.
Born from distilled thoughts and raw emotion, each piece is delivered in the most cathartic and authentic way the writer knows.
#poetry #michaellewis #gloss #mentalhealth #somanybookssolittletime #justamainegirlwholovestoread
Like Michael’s other poetry collections, Gloss spills emotion onto every page. From the tender dedication to his son to the intimate letter addressed to the reader, each word captures the heart and refuses to let go.
Some of my favorite poems from this book...
Edged
Doubting voices are silenced
Three gold seas - this one, so powerful
Caressed by blade and trauma - another powerful one.
Semi Smile
I’ve said this in previous reviews, and I’m more than willing to say it again: the author’s mastery of alliteration, cadence, and sheer devotion to language will leave you breathless and hungry for more. Within these pages, you’ll find words infused with power, vulnerability, and unwavering honesty.
Born from distilled thoughts and raw emotion, each piece is delivered in the most cathartic and authentic way the writer knows.
#poetry #michaellewis #gloss #mentalhealth #somanybookssolittletime #justamainegirlwholovestoread
March 18, 2026
Gloss Review
Rating: 5⭐️
This was a nice collection of poems. I think it’s my favourite one so far. The poems, while it’s in the author’s usual writing style, it felt like it read a bit differently to me. More fast-paced.
As usual, there were a couple of pens that I had to re-read to get a better understanding. But what is a poem if it doesn’t make you question and reflect?
Rating: 5⭐️
This was a nice collection of poems. I think it’s my favourite one so far. The poems, while it’s in the author’s usual writing style, it felt like it read a bit differently to me. More fast-paced.
As usual, there were a couple of pens that I had to re-read to get a better understanding. But what is a poem if it doesn’t make you question and reflect?
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews