San Francisco

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Jason Yu

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Touching down at SFO I feel the turbulence
Of a city churning swiftly like the wind that wildly whips
Down the shoreline of the shining sea that stretches out of sight
That Balboa breathlessly beheld in dazzling delight
Hilly heights and valleys turned from wilderness to trails
And the advent of the auto turned those trails to thoroughfares through which
Tourists toting tripods take the trolley to the top
While wispy whiffs of warming weed are wafting where I walk
The sound of shoes that slap against the slightly sticky bricks
Meld with mellow melodies of jazz musicians on the block
Beams of morning sunshine gleaming off the Golden Gate
Echo rippling red reflections underneath the interstate
The sunset bathes the boulevards in liquid saffron light
Glinting brightly like the metal that brought miners to this site
This site that shook with fear and trembling in 1906
Turning miles of thriving districts into piles of timber sticks
Which then served as kindling wood to stoke an all-consuming blaze
And its fiery tongues licked livelihoods away for three whole days
The epicenter altered SF's center to an altar
As sirens sang in unison like chorus from the psalter
The mortal orange aura overswept the city's arteries
And prompted generosity from London and the Carnegies
Forest fires foster firs despite their blackened branches
Just as San Francisco rose up like a phoenix from the ashes
I stride down Sacramento Street to try and catch the MUNI
Thinking I can triumph in this land of opportunity
At least that's how the Chinese saw it in the 19th century
Leaving everything behind for just a chance at entry
Sailing like sardines with diet'ry deficiencies
No fish or meat on the high seas would spread disease efficiently
The fare was paid for ferries bearing barely enough barrels
Just stare down the unfairness of the terrible yellow peril
Take a spike, and drive it into wooden railroad ties
Go on strike, but then they'll stop up all your food supplies
And erase you from the picture to let racists take the credit
So that painting of the golden spike, you may as well just shred it
Anxieties of unemployment simmered in disquiet
'Til the bias boiled over in defiant racial riot
It started at a laundromat at Leavenworth and Geary
When a gang broke in and beat the Chinese owners quite severely
Belligerence turned dire when they lit the place on fire
As their prejudicial ire rallied thousands to the mire
The insurgents all emerged with scents of lingering detergents
As the surging crowd tried purging foreigners as a deterrence
Mobbing, robbing, lobbing their incendiary doses
And then sabotaging rescuers by cutting fire hoses
Segregated, spat upon, these immigrants were beaten down
Relegated to the city streets we now call Chinatown
Despite intrusions and the institution of exclusion
They endured the persecution with a fervent resolution
The green roof of the Dragon Gate now testifies the story
About how this people persevered pursuing greater glory
The Castro buildings blend and blur in boldly bright display
As I contemplate the changes from the '40s to this day
When the blue discharge averted gays from military service
While the closeted were nervous that the subject would resurface
They were subject to harassment on a dime in any quarter
Back when sexual minority meant mental health disorder
Like the time they ordered cops to drag some drag queens from a diner
And attempted to arrest them for their feminine attire
A lawman with a badge proceeds to badger and debase
'Til an exasperated patron splashes coffee in his face
The entire place erupts in deleterious hysteria
As salt and sugar shakers fly across the cafeteria
People pelting platters cause the window panes to shatter
And the cups to spill and clatter as the protesters get madder
And begin to fiercely brandish heels and purses in the fight
Before burning down a cop car and a newsstand in the night
The only news to understand was unforeseen aggression
Tell the press that we refuse to stand for this obscene oppression
Cafe sit-ins were the standard, even an obsession
Sev'ral years before the Stonewall Riots stood for self-expression
Courageously they faced all of the hatred of the raids
And tenaciously prevailed over the fateful plague of AIDS
Today the pride flag waves on every corner in June heat
As waves of celebrators all parade down Market Street
Millions of stories ringing radical resilience
Civilians resisting all repression with their brilliance
From persevering migrants overcoming hateful violence
To LGBT vibrance shaking up the weary silence
And as I watch the sunset fade into a violet haze
I wonder if this city is a home to spend my days
Will I rise up and taste victory like heroes in our history
Or quietly in misery become an untold mystery
The magic of this valley is attractive to accept
Because we see how far we've come but we don't know how much is left
Do we dare to share these narratives of American success
To value all the valiance of those that could progress
Or do these venerations just avoid the conversation
And ignore all the injustices in our generation
From the workers suffering today from labor exploitation
To the homeless veterans in dire need of restoration
Our fathers killed the prophets, now will we pocket the profits
Or come back to being honest and make good on what was promised
Whether toppled in the tremors or consumed by burning embers
Now the tales of hard-won splendor are to learn from and remember

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