{"id":595,"date":"2015-11-23T15:39:35","date_gmt":"2015-11-23T20:39:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.spcollege.edu\/public-safety\/?p=595"},"modified":"2024-01-30T15:51:08","modified_gmt":"2024-01-30T20:51:08","slug":"allstate-hosts-poetry-night-with-james-tokley","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.spcollege.edu\/public-safety-policy-legal-studies-educational-information\/allstate-hosts-poetry-night-with-james-tokley\/","title":{"rendered":"Allstate Hosts Poetry Night with James Tokley"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"James<\/a>
James E. Tokley, the first poet laureate of Tampa and Hillsborough County, reads from his work at the SPC Allstate Center’s first poetry night.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cThere are poets in these hills,\u201d said James E. Tokley Sr., looking out at his audience. He was surrounded by poetry-lovers from SPC and the local community, all gathered to hear him read at the Allstate Center\u2019s first poetry night on November 18th<\/sup>.<\/p>\n

As the first official poet laureate of Hillsborough County and the City of Tampa, Tokley was an inspiring speaker who welcomed each audience member as a fellow lover of the written word. Calling them \u201cbeloved,\u201d he beckoned them closer, constantly reminding them that they, too, had poetry inside them. \u201cNext time I come, you\u2019ll be sitting here<\/em>,\u201d he said, indicating his position of honor. \u201cAnd I\u2019ll be sitting there <\/em>[in the audience].\u201d<\/p>\n

His wife, Joanna, had suggested he tell a story about each poem before reading it. Some anecdotes were witty and light-hearted, detailing his experiences as a young poet; others discussed why we must write about tragedy and suffering, even when it can feel \u201ctoo painful\u201d to explore.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor years I was on the Board of Directors for the St. Petersburg Holocaust Museum,\u201d Tokley said. \u201cOne poem [I wrote] frightened me because it frightened them.\u201d Called The Survivor<\/em>, it describes an encounter between a concentration camp survivor and the Nazi who tortured him. Although some told him the poem was \u201ctoo painful,\u201d Tokley said he knew that only meant he had to do it. \u201cI finally got to read it, and people cried,\u201d he said. The poem ultimately celebrates the triumph of the human spirit and God\u2019s grace, despite unspeakable suffering.<\/p>\n

For the Allstate Center, Tokley was an especially meaningful speaker because he is a police trainer as well as a poet. \u201cI\u2019ve trained thousands of men and women with a badge,\u201d he said. Many of his poems feature law enforcement officers, because he says he wants to \u201cwrite about the men and women I love.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"C.C.<\/a>
C.C. Clark credits Tokley for inspiring him to become a poet. At Tokley’s invitation, he read one of his poems, called “Through God’s Eyes.”<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

His impact on these young police officers is remarkable. At the end of the reading, one man stood up and thanked Tokley for inspiring him to become a poet. As a graduate of the Allstate Center\u2019s police academy (Class 104), C.C. Clark said he\u2019d met Tokley during his training years ago, which inspired him to pursue his love for poetry. After embracing, Tokley invited Clark to read one of his poems, called \u201cThrough God\u2019s Eyes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Once again, Tokley reminded his audience that they, too, had poetry inside them\u2014an encouragement that may lead some, like Clark, to become the next generation of poets.<\/p>\n

Fast Facts about James E. Tokley:<\/p>\n