Literary Spotlight: Max Wallis

I just have to introduce you all to someone very special.  See the man in the picture above that you're currently swooning over (don't even try to deny it) - his name is Max Wallis.  He just so happens to be an incredibly talented poet and a model!  Brains and beauty - some people have it all!

Whenever I confess my love of literature to those with a similar passion, I'm often asked to list my favourite authors and poets.  When I mention e. e. cummings and Pablo Neruda, people nod knowingly.  When I mention Max Wallis, I am greeted with blank faces, dismissive 'never heard of him's and perplexed 'who's that?'s.  This upsets me greatly.  Max's words are so beautiful I want to share them with everyone I meet.  So, if you're lucky enough to have stumbled across this post, I'm going to share them with you.  They're bound to make your day a little brighter.

Blue

It’s winter-turned lips that were kissed to warm them.
It’s shedding reservoirs through tiny tear ducts
and how I never saw you cry.
It’s ice, the not-so-nice,
and the colour of found-out-lies.
It’s depth, so, so much depth and deep
where we kept treasures
and all our insecurity.
It’s the security of being alone
and having no one else to rely upon.
It’s not always cold but rich cupcake icing
Food colouring. Smarties and all their e-numbers;
wax crayons melted down in the pan in the oven.
It’s waves, sea, royal and navy
school jumpers aged eleven-to-sixteen
in summer-sweat-swaddling.
It’s old-young boxers before I knew what sex was
before I gave a toss
or tossed off.
It’s the colour of remembering
how we feel
when we’ve stopped loving
and can’t stop wanting.
It’s the meaning of emptiness
and the emptiness of meaning
it’s believing in nothing but hoping
and having no hope in believing.
It’s the subtler flecks
that make and etch your eyes.
It’s everyone
sometimes.

Ironically, I find it difficult to put my admiration for Max's poetry into words.  Suffice to say, I adore him.  And you should too.

If you liked my little teaser, you can find a lot of Max's poems at http://www.somethingeveryday.co.uk/
His book, Modern Love is currently only £4 on Amazon, or £2.70 for the Kindle edition! Find it here.