“It is fitting that the final poem of this collection by Peter Hoheisel is entitled ‘What the Monk Knows,’ for Hoheisel is a bit of a wandering monk himself, always seeking spiritual discoveries in the elemental — wind, river water, star shine, ‘trout with blazing red bellies.’ Poem after poem probes everyday surfaces for  ‘the shining core of insideness, /the center of things.’

“Theology dominates these poems, and if it is at times an uneasy one, it ultimately radiates a reassuring faith. Of equal importance is the recurring motif of silence, a monastic hunger for quietude that offers both solace and salvation. Collectively, these poems echo the Psalmist’s ancient injunction: ‘Be still, and know that I am God.’

“If you subscribe to this famous imperative, if you seek mindfulness amidst the distracting clamor of our postmodern world, you will find much to admire in this new collection by Peter Hoheisel.”
— Randall R. Freisinge is the author of Windthrow and Salvage

“Reading these poems — with their depth and width and breadth of clarity — brings joy on two levels. First, the artistry shines through. Peter Hoheisel writes with skill reflecting a lifetime of philosophy learned and lived. Second, he understands humor and pain, joy and grief. This volume can be read and understood easily enough, but the gentle simile or the surprising metaphor (and vice versa) yield a rich experience apart from mere appreciation. What a treasure.”
— Mary Ann Taylor is an English professor and blogs at BluebonnetSyrup.com