Q is for Quartus, the Brother

Quartus, the Brother

“Gaius, host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer greets you, and Quartus, the brother [says hey!].” (Romans 16:3, NASB, GDM)

It was the third of June, another sleepy dusty, Roman day

I was out grinding corn, and my little brother was away

At Sunday go to meetin’ time we walked up to the church

Rabbi hollered from the pulpit, "yall, get in here so we don’t have to search"

and then he said, “I got a letter this morning’ from the Apostle Paul"

Today, Quartus, the brother says “hey and hopes its well with yall"

And papa said to mama, as he passed around the assemblies Torah

"We haven’t seen brother Quartus since he knocked over the menorah

This is great news that he is traveling around with Brother Paul and friends"

And mama said "it was a shame we didn’t see him more than now and again

Seems like no one gets around to see us anymore except maybe in the fall"

And now Quartus, the brother says “hey” and hopes its well with yall

And sister said she recollected when Quartus, Gaius, and Rachael’s boy

Pushed her in the water behind the falls at En Gedi just to annoy

And do you remember when his Bar-Mitvah was the talk of the town

What a little scamp he was, he made a quite a few mothers frown

Well, I haven’t thought of Quartus for quite some time at all

And now Quartus, the brother says “hey” and hopes its well with yall

Mama said to me, Miriam, you haven’t heard a word the rabbi’s said

Is there something wrong do you have a fever, let me touch your head

That nice city treasurer, Brother Erastus, may stop by today

He mentioned he might like to take you out and oh by the way

He said, “wasn’t there someone who had a crush on Quartus last fall?”

And now Quartus, the brother says hey and hopes its well with yall

Well summer has come and gone since Rabbi read the letter from Paul

It was filled with great teachings that strengthened the faith of us all

There was a locust invasion last summer and killed most of the wheat

And daddy’s grain grinding business slowly went down in the heat

And me, I spend a lot of time thinking and praying by the wailing wall

All because Quartus, the brother said hey, and hoped it was well with us all

Thanks to Bobbie Gentry and Ode to Billie Joe