3rd Hour

A Tribute To “Butch”, Vernon Elborne Wade, III

 

A brother to some, a father to many,
Butch never thought his call was too small or uncanny.
With him, you never were alone,
the comfort he would bring you
made you feel right at home, 
but you had to stand in line
For he was always on the phone,
willing to do errands, loan money, 
sing a song or just be a friend.

Butch loved life.  My "Butchie", 
I called him dearly
when he came into sight,
and I would cry for hours when he took flight,
because he was the only sibling, out of nine,
who could quell my night terrors with a song or a rhyme.

We loved him with our hearts on our sleeves,
no matter what we went through,
he always reminded us:
"We our family!"

Butch was an unpublished, 
annotated textbook of accomplishments.
he was learned in Computer Science, 
language, music, arts and crafts,
he never entered into any field that would not last,
and he loved archeology,
the study of our past.

He could put a whole car together 
with just a few tools,
and he taught me how to read, 
before I was in school.
Butch would challenge our minds;
he was so funny and so cool! 

My big brother had so many skills,
and worked so many careers,
that teachers made him an honorary
staff member year after year.

Amazed at his genius, they didn't care 
if he had a teacher's Credential,
his gifts were unquestionable,
and that was essential!
About what he was able to accomplish,
they had no fears!

His castle was where he lay his head,
his children his greatest treasure,
and no one could size-up Butch.
No scale quite measured the person 
whose very body could
not contain this quintessential 
lover of life, family and friends.

Butch fought valiantly against prejudice,
and medical institutions false diagnosis,
and treatment of black folks,
with treatments that many times 
were hit and miss solutions,
unfounded delusions of grandeur.

He was never unsure,
of his plight and never gave in
to the illnesses that were allowed 
to fester without sound treatment,
nor well-tested cure.

He too had "the gift" of discernment 
throughout his life,
inherently surmising what was fair, 
what was equal, what was right.
He took the stage and then, 
dropped the Mike!

Cheers to you Butch, my brother, Vernon Elborne Wade, III,
many people loved you - many people heard,
your plight for young people,
your genius with words.

You trained pigeons to know you like we did,
Flocking around their BFF,
like super excited little kids,
Just like you took care of our ducks 
who came to roost in our backyard,
you had the wisdom to know finding 
refuge in this world is not easy - it's hard!

But, to Heaven with you, Butch,
we always knew you'd get there before we do.
You're my National Holiday, royalty, and a King,
tried and true,
I believe you knew, too!