I must say that I am not much of a poetry reader, but I love spoken word. For those who don’t understand it, spoken word is about the beat and rhythm of the words that are music to your ears and it reveals the soul of the writer. PleasurePain & Poetry is spoken word. As I read some of the poems, I could just imagine Delisa Y. Jones in front of me performing You Gave Me Back, filled with passion and conviction; that was one of my favorites. The title PleasurePain and Poetry is perfect.

Delisa Y. Jones provides readers a glimpse into her life experiences and what she learned from them–some were pleasurable whereas others were painful. Some of the passages are hilarious and you just have to read on, while others make you go, “Huh? I don’t get it.” There were some misspelled words, but it did not take away from the reading. In the passage, “Side Effects: Men and Side Effects: Women”, a description of Mr. Careerist, who is identified as a match for Ms. Leech, is missing. Some of the passages I really liked, while others I could have done without. This book is great for a young audience that will read the words for enjoyment and not over think its meaning. - Sistah Rita