Last weeks mail brought a fundraising letter from Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley.

Merkley opened his letter with what political marketers call the life story.

It is a staple of the campaign trail. The life story permits the candidate to frame his or her life in a way that leads to political values. Hence, Merkley tells us in the August letter that, When youre from Roseburg, you learn early on what really matters. … My dad worked in a sawmill, and mom was a secretary. When I was little, she always used to tell me, Do your best. And do whats right.

When state Sen. Suzanne Bonamici came by my office, I heard her life story. Bonamici is a candidate for our vacant congressional seat. Next up will be the life stories of her Democratic opponents Brad Witt and Brad Avakian.

After this encounter with multiple life stories, I suggested to Sue Cody of our editorial staff that we all should introduce each conversation with our life story. But I must admit that in a world whose technology seems to deny our humanity, the life story reaffirms the notion that our childhood does produce our values.

So sit back and enjoy our candidates life stories. It is one of the rare moments in which they will reveal something about themselves, beyond their party label.

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The Arcata Eye is an eccentric newspaper for a special town. We got to know the Arcata when our son was a student at Humboldt State University. The newspapers editor, Kevin Hoover, has created a literary police log. He uses poetry to give the police report. Here is his poetic take on friends intervening with a drunk driver.

A drinking mans friends went to war

Blocked driving his car to deaths door

He stalked away shouting

But lived through the outing

And friends, thats what real friends are for.

Hoovers special treat is haiku, the Japanese poetry form that involves three lines of five syllables, seven syllables and five syllables. Heres what Hoover did with a domestic event on the sidewalk:

Outside a tavern

He-and-she unpleasantries

Befouled the night air

Chelsea Gorrows accident report last week inspired me to imitate the Arcata Eye. A truck driven from Bornsteins Seafoods by Klaus Berhardt lost its load of fish guts. The ensuing mess on Portway Street was colorful. Here is my haiku of Gorrows story that was headlined What a fishy mess.

Salmon heads and guts,

Portway Street unpleasantness.

Truck driver cited.

If you enjoy writing haiku, send one this way.

S.A.F.