Charley's valentine

A few falls ago in an attempt to celebrate a Friday evening ‘Urban Nights’ event in Dayton, our church, located in the heart of downtown, jumped into the fray and opened our doors to the weekend revelers.  

Restaurants downtown offered dinner and drink specials, bands played on Courthouse Square, while we at Christ Episcopal Church opened for an exhibit from local artists.  In addition, I asked my three poetry writing buddies, affectionately known as Emily’s Boys, to join in the evening’s festivities by offering a poetry reading to interested Urban Nights guests.  

One of the people at church who promoted our engagement in Urban Nights was a retired newspaper guy with the Daily News, Charley Stough.  Charley was a bit of an artist himself, as well as a cartoonist and a writer.  Charley became famous for passing cartoon panels along to kids at church for the sheer joy of it. 

Charley wound up his newspaper career with twenty-eight years of service to the Daily News.  He reported and copy edited in other towns, too, some in the Southwest.  As a young man he worked a stint in Panama with the Peace Corps.  It was there where he met his lovely wife, Alicia. 

In his retirement years, Charley also took on volunteer work at church where he helped local folks with little resources file their income taxes and determine what public assistance was due them.  He was always tickled when he found a bigger refund than somebody thought she’d get, or uncovered some benefit that would make life a bit easier.  A smile were always easy with Charley.  He was one of the few guys who called me Tommy. 

Well, we lost Charley to cancer a few months ago.  He put up a worthy fight for years, but in the end, the disease just proved to be too much.  

I celebrate Charley this Valentine’s Day because of an unexpected pleasure he brought me on that Urban Night’s evening.  Some time while we poets were setting up our stools and figuring out who would read first, Charley stopped by and said he had a poem he’d like to read when we finished our stuff.  As I recall, Charley had a piece of art that went with the poem.  His reading was full of energy and brought a couple of laughs from the poetry lovers.  

I don’t know if this is the poem Charley read that night, but it appears to be the only Stough poem I have in my collection.  And since it speaks so eloquently of love, if a little slant, I offer it to you this Valentine’s Day. 

Thanks, Charley.  We miss you already. 

Today’s Elder Idea:  from Charley Stough

Valentine’s Day  

Love's measurements are usually engineered

In terms of carats.  Or bags from boutique sales.

Someone I know played it by ear

And said, "I love you big as 20 whales."

Sweet as champagne at the finish line, 

Bright as diamonds dipped out by the pail,

A rolling tide of pride runs down your spine

When someone's love comes to you by the whale.

The packaging of passion you too seldom find,

Cetacean squadrons' worth of love, to keep.

Will you take it home? Does the landlord mind?

How many hugs do whales need to make them go to sleep?

When someone says "I love you," don't investigate

How much, how deep, how wide it has to be.

The oceans always bring you honest weight.

All, you get all, everything there is of me.

And when the strength or light or wisdom fails

Just say, "I love you big as 20 whales."

 For more on Charley’s life, see this web page from the American Copy Editors Society:

Remembering Charley Stough