Debra Warren has appropriately titled her book of poetry, Pausing to Catch My Breath. The pages depict this mother and grandmother as someone who I would personally love to sit across from at a kitchen table with a huge pot of tea and talk for hours.
Her style implements simple vocabulary with an honest appeal, yet her work is astoundingly moving. This is the kind of poetry that I like to read at a slow pace in order to allow the statements to really sink in. “I Think” is a good example of what I mean. “Today” challenges readers to see beyond the mundane, by considering what others are experiencing that very moment. “It’s Never Too Late” was a moving piece about many kinds of incarceration. I related with “Trapped”, especially where she wrote, "I am trapped inside a body that betrays". "Pausing to Catch my Breath" is a particularly beautifully written piece. I hope to retain in memory my favorite line of this poem, "Hearing the music, I dance to my yesterdays". Debra also displays an appealing sense of humor in her work. I loved the imagery of viewing cruel and stupid people as "human speed bumps" along the road of life. Pausing to Catch My Breath most certainly displays Debra’s ability to use uncomplicated prose to create deep emotion, intellectual thought and crisp images.
- Lillian Brummet, Book Reviewer, and co-author of Trash Talk - a guide for anyone concerned about his or her impact on the environment
Pausing to Catch my Breath by Debra A. Warren is a book of poems about the important people in Debra's life. It's a wonderful collection of her thoughts and feelings about them, their place in her life and the role she has played or has aspired to play in their lives. We should all take the time to pause, catch our breath and reflect on the people in our lives as honestly as Warren has. Having divorced two husbands, I especially enjoyed, "Ode to a Spineless Man!" I recommend this well-written book for anyone who loves poetry!
-Michelle Ailene True, author of True Reflections, True Emotions and True Identities
Pausing to Catch my Breath warms the cockles of my heart. The author Debra A. Warren shares her innermost self and her life experiences in this beautifully written, captivating book of poetry. She weaves poetic tales to which we all can relate. “Running Behind” addresses the over scheduling of patients’ problems at the doctor’s office. She is “running late today”, Ms. Warren states, and “now the doctor has no say;” For all those times that she had to wait along “with mothers and daughters and brothers” to see her doctor, she lyrically states “now the doctor can have his chance to see…what it is like to wait for me.” Ms. Warren has captured our feelings and our emotions about many of the day-to-day frustrations that we encounter at the doctors office, in our daily living, and in our love life.
Debra A. Warren has certainly found an effective way to reminisce about ‘Life Reflections,’ ‘Family Ties,’ and ‘the Ups and Downs of love.’ We have all experienced these emotions, made the wishes and had our share of heart rending, life changing romances. This book is lighthearted, insightful and thought invoking. It evokes memories of yesteryear. Kick back, relax or snuggle up with a cup of tea, coffee or a beverage of choice and a copy of Pausing to Catch my Breath and you will not be disappointed. It makes a beautiful gift for book lovers of all ages.
-Pamela deLeon-Lewis, author of Smiling Thru the Tears
Debra A. Warren’s, Pausing To Catch My Breath is a fabulous read! As I perused each poem, I felt like I knew her family members and that I was one of the privileged few who got a glimpse into her private diary of life. Her words captivate and encircle your heart and mind with each line of text. Debra’s book is more than her poetry, it’s her world and I’m proud that I had the distinct honor of reading and critiquing such profound work. It’s a must read for anyone who loves poetry and can appreciate life lessons.
-Terri Ann Armstrong, author of My Soul Has Spoken
After reading this breath catcher [Pausing to Catch my Breath by Debra A. Warren], you come to realize that the reflections of life and the ties that bind are more important than when life throws its curve and fast balls at you. It's packed with emotions as it fine-tooth combs your soul with poems like: I Think, You Don't Know What Old Feels Like, Who Cares, Mean People Stink, Sometimes Circumstances Change, Awareness, True Love, and True Happiness, just to name a few. Debra's awesome gift of writing evokes feelings in us all that make us understand, cry, and rejoice with her. This book will have you picking it up to read again and again. Simply stated: Heartfelt.
-Pier Tyler, author of Abstract: A Kaleidoscopic Collection of Poetry
Debra A. Warren brings forth poems that are very creative and inspirational. They are well written as well. In this book, Pausing to Catch my Breath, she takes the reader through her life experiences with poetry that makes a person think about their own life experiences. You can feel the emotions she wants to convey in each and every poem. There are emotions of every kind expressed. I’ve enjoyed reading this book and would recommend any poetry lovers read it. It is a very good book.
-Julie A. Bowles, author of Her Uncertain Future and Elizabeth's Ultimate Sacrifice
