he was 17, inspired by reading the autobiography of the famous trappist monk thomas merton, who introduced many americans to the contemplative life. merton would eventually become his spiritual director and would encourage brother paul to write. thomas merton said monks and poets are people who live on the margins of society. brother paul decided to become both. he says monks and poets remind us to pay attention to the world around us, to focus on what's essential. >> poetry is the language of the heart, and it's the language of the imagination, and so the mind abides in silence. contemplation is an abiding in silence, and what comes out of silence are words of the heart, words of love. when the heart is really full, the mouth goes silent. >> indeed, many contemplatives say the transcendent is beyond words. brother paul has published three books of his poetry and is working on a fourth. >> the hood -- a hiding place for the head a portable anonymity a refuge from artificial light a cover to make dimness dimmer to make time slow down. >> ideas for his poems usually come to him on long, soli