Romulus and Remus (for Paul Violi) [by David Lehman]
Look for Remus in the index of a book
And you are bound to get “See Romulus”
Which is perfectly logical but makes me wonder
About indexes, or indices, and why I prefer the former
As the plural except in a financial context, and how
An index to a book that may not exist may imply
A whole biography, as my friend Paul Violi
Showed in his poem “Index.” My late friend
Paul Violi, whom I still see in the street
Sometimes, walking along at an unhurried pace
So if I walk fast I will catch up to him at the corner
Before the light turns green.
IM Paul Viioli, 20 July 1944 -- 2 April 2011
sweet tribute for paul, david, thanks for posting
Posted by: lally | July 20, 2019 at 04:26 PM
Beautiful little poem. Paul was a special kind of person and poet.
Posted by: Terence Winch | July 20, 2019 at 08:40 PM
Thanks, Terry. He was a great colleague. Our classes met at the same time, ending at 10:30 PM, perfect timing for a trip to the old Cafe Loup.
Posted by: The Best American Poetry | July 23, 2019 at 04:14 PM
Thank you, Michael.
Posted by: The Best American Poetry | July 23, 2019 at 04:14 PM