The act of reading difficult texts during difficult times is the thematic element that holds these 4 authors’ poetic works together. Having met at Harvard Divinity School, Charli Pence Bond, Ethan Nosanow Levin, Abigail Grace Louisin, and Jason Adam Sheets take their deepest, most intimate connections to the truth to decipher meaning during a time of high anxiety, stress, and debilitating circumstances–the pandemic. What transpired was a creative energy where each author sought meaning through difficulty in the form of poetry–hence, this collection. What sits now before you is a reach for something brighter, truth that screams and saws, verse that transcends normality, and a collection of poetry that offers a great light to be shared with the masses. Take a deep breath. Hold these poems in. Breathe. Answers to all come in time.