The ensuing diaspora resulted in Abba Poemen and his group keeping alive the collective wisdom of the monks of Scetis by creating the bulk of the Apophthegmata Patrum (Sayings of the Desert Fathers).

They were inclined to wake the sleeping monk, while Abba Poemen took a more compassionate approach, advising, "For my part, when I have seen a brother who is dozing, I put his head on my knees and let him rest.

When a visiting monk asked him if he should assume a role of authority over the brothers he was living with, Abba Poemen responded by saying, "No, be their example, not their legislator.

"[5] Modern writers credit Abba Poemen's gift of memory for keeping alive many of the stories from the Apophthegmata Patrum.

Abba Poemen is also featured prominently in another collection of Desert Father sayings, the Ethiopic Collectio Monastica.

He was notable for his kindness and compassion toward his fellow monks, including those who had fallen from the high ideals of the Desert Fathers.