On this day in 1944
the poet Paul Violi
was born a man
who loved history
and knew that on
the date of his birth
the conspirators failed
to kill the dictator at
his Wolf's Lair headquarters
and exactly twenty-five
years later a couple
of guys walked on the moon
Paul I always thought of
you as the Charles Bronson
of poetry by which
I mean not the avenger
of Death Wish fame
but the man of integrity
strength and gentleness
loved by the Mexican kids
in The Magnifcent Seven
and the builder of tunnels
in The Great Escape
Paul we miss you
and love you and
celebrate you in
your absence on
this the 20th of July
of the year you died
— David Lehman