Where Time Its Silence Keeps : Poems from Gethsemani

In the spirit of monk-poets Hanshan, Thomas Merton, and Philip Wallen

Trappist monk Paul Quenon spends his days in prayer, contemplation, and the monastery kitchen. These poems reflect those places and those moments. The Kentucky knobs play a role, as do the creatures and birds that live there. Nocturnal vigils, too, are important to the poems, and some of them were written like hymns to be sung rather than spoken. This is the work of a poet at the height of his powers, in his ninth decade of a life well-lived.

The book also includes a rare interview with the poet, which includes this: “I want a poem to be a poem. It is more than descriptive prose, more than an account of the state of my soul, a record of what I’ve experienced, information about my spiritual life. A poem steps into a space of its own. It nudges along with a spirit of its own, and is best when it surprises me. If I know ahead of time what I want to write, that is a drag and will bore the reader. Best to be free of pre-conceived ideas, and best when I’m obedient to the poem, to whatever it wants.” (Brother Paul Quenon)