Uncle Ernie
Today I have the good fortune of having a post featured at Jeremy Statton’s blog as a part of the Secretly Incredible series. It is a poem that I wrote as a tribute to my Uncle Ernest Battershell. He was a great, quiet man who influenced those around him by his life and actions. I wish you could have met him. Click through after the excerpt for the poem.
Excerpt:
My Uncle Ernie was that rare man who spent a lifetime in hard, manual work and finished strong. I would spend much of my summers at his house when I was young, learning to ride a horse, how to play checkers, and how to overcome challenges.
He was a self-sufficient farmer whose life taught me patience, devotion, discipline, kindness, and rest. I do not recall talking about these things, but observing them by his actions. I never heard him speak in anger, in fact he had few words, but those he chose to speak carried great weight and wisdom. I wouldn’t come to understand that wisdom until years after his passing.
About Cole Bradburn
I'm a writer and doctor in lifelong pursuit of health, happiness, and adventure. I currently live in Raleigh, NC with the love of my life and our amazing boys.
Sounds like an incredible role model. I feel as though I got to know him through this post. Great poetry, Cole!
Thank you very much Todd. I feel very fortunate to have had a few people like this in my life. He was the first.