{"id":19746,"date":"2013-02-21T15:01:18","date_gmt":"2013-02-21T20:01:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/flsentinel.com\/?p=19746"},"modified":"2013-02-21T16:18:06","modified_gmt":"2013-02-21T21:18:06","slug":"james-tokley-voted-as-countys-poet-laureate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/flsentinel.com\/?p=19746","title":{"rendered":"Hills- borough County Has A New Poet Laureate"},"content":{"rendered":"

BY GWEN HAYES<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sentinel Editor<\/strong><\/p>\n

In its afternoon session Wednesday, the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners voted 7-0 to name James Tokley<\/strong> as the Poet Laureate for Hillsborough County. He\u2019s also the Poet Laureate for the City of Tampa, serving since January 1996.<\/p>\n

Commissioner Al Higginbotham, <\/strong>District 4, placed a request on the Commission\u2019s February 20th agenda to name Tokley<\/strong> as the Poet Laureate of Hillsborough County. It\u2019s another first for Tokley.<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong>Although no workshops, special assignments or speaking engagements have been set up for this non-paid conferment, Tokley<\/strong> will be prepared when called upon to present.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you speak of being Poet Laureate for the County, that\u2019s like speaking for the universe; there\u2019s a rainbow of possibilities,\u201d Tokley <\/strong>said referencing the surrounding areas he will serve: Brandon, Riverview, Plant City, Wimauma, Ruskin, Apollo Beach, etc.<\/p>\n

Tokely<\/strong> looks \u201cforward to the opportunity being great fun. I\u2019m not only proud for myself, but for all the people I represent, all the poets of all complexions in the city and the county.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want them to be willing to read and speak publicly \u2013 let people hear and feel their verse, refine their metaphor. I may be the first poet laureate, but I won\u2019t be the last.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tokley, <\/strong>a professor at Everest University, paid special tribute to Commissioner Higginbotham<\/strong> and Commissioner Les Miller,<\/strong> along with the other commissioners and County Administrator, Mike Merrill<\/strong> for honoring him.<\/p>\n

As a way of saying \u2018thank you,\u2019 Tokley <\/strong>presented these words:<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

There is a time for noble words<\/em><\/p>\n

When a poet\u2019s rhyme and verse is heard<\/em><\/p>\n

Above a multitude who seek such<\/em><\/p>\n

To know wherefore the poet speaks<\/em><\/p>\n

And to see if he is qualified<\/em><\/p>\n

Inclined to sing his poetry countywide<\/em><\/p>\n

But the present tense who knows such things<\/em><\/p>\n

Has closed its mouth and taken wings<\/em><\/p>\n

And only the future shall explain<\/em><\/p>\n

The power of the pen he shall retain<\/em><\/p>\n

So until such time fate breaks its rank<\/em><\/p>\n

To God and the County I give thanks.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

BY GWEN HAYES Sentinel Editor In its afternoon session Wednesday, the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners voted 7-0 to name James Tokley as the Poet Laureate for Hillsborough County. He\u2019s also the Poet Laureate for the City of Tampa, serving since January 1996. Commissioner Al Higginbotham, District 4, placed a request on the Commission\u2019s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":210,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pmpro_default_level":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19746","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-local-news","pmpro-has-access"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/flsentinel.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19746","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/flsentinel.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/flsentinel.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flsentinel.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/210"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flsentinel.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=19746"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/flsentinel.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19746\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/flsentinel.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=19746"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flsentinel.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=19746"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flsentinel.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=19746"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}