Exhale Again: Poems

Attempting to capture all stages of emotional grief and triumph, Exhale Again centers around the power of love to heal, the will of the mind to persist, and the tenacity of the human spirit to hold onto faith in all circumstances. The ecstasy of love realized and the analysis of the peril that exists within the human condition provides breadth to this collection. Stylistically dynamic, this collection includes amorous anecdotes revealing the desire of the human heart to remain in love alongside the oft harsh reality that hope deterred, though painful, can be a great source of renewal. Exhale Again is a mixed-format poetry collection most heavily laden with lyric poetry interspersed with poems of varied pentameter and set form poems including haikus, sonnets, and limericks intended to reignite our collective belief in hope, while exploring what it is in this life that makes us feel whole, worthy, respected, and alive.

Andrea Cladis Hodge holds an MFA in Writing from Fairfield University and is a Summa Cum Laude graduate of Elmhurst College with degrees in English Writing, Interdisciplinary Communications, French, and Secondary Education. She currently works as an English Writing Professor at Columbia College in Chicago, a freelance editor, writing consultant, and licensed fitness professional. She is the author of the memoir, Tatsimou, Hold On!, the Christian nonfiction books, Finding the Finish Line and Fearless Stride, and the poetry collection, Forgotten Coffee.