Michael Nichols

Sacred Joy Michael Nichols

Sacred Joy, is a walk through the life of Joianne Payne as seen through the eyes of her poetry, prose and spoken word. The book is divided into three distinct sections, Lost, Awakening and Found, in which Ms. Payne eloquently describes her life in searing detail. Her story, a sometimes painful and other times a humorous one, is always told with a candor that draws the reader in. Ms. Payne involves the reader in her journey as she explores universal themes from the point of view of both women and men. She explores such topics as loneliness, infidelity, poverty, and mental illness as well as themes of positive self image and self acceptance. She also discusses her issues with "jobs" and how we as a people have gotten away from ourselves. Ms. Payne's poetry speaks to the reader like an understanding friend and serves to "listen" on an emotional level to difficult topics one may be unable to discuss even with a confidante. This book, Sacred Joy, A Journey to Self Love, chronicles Joianne Payne's growth from self hatred to self love. This book is Joi's attempt to share her journey in hopes that she may positively impact someone whose life may parallel hers. Sacred Joy is a poetic story that hopefully can serve as a healing tool for someone on a journey to self love told candidly with honesty, wit and humor