Earlier this week, our San Francisco Youth Poet Laureate and Vice Laureate, Karan Gupta and Aisha McCulloch, participated in a Bay-forward press conference to kick off Super Bowl week. This event showcased the people, creativity, and impact that have inspired the Bay Area for generations, and we’re grateful to the Bay Area Host Committee for bringing youth voices to the center of this proud moment. 🎤 Thank you for following along as SF youth show what’s possible on every page and every stage across the city. 🔥
⭐️ & thank you to Youth Speaks, The San Francisco Public Library, Urban Word, and Mayor Daniel Lurie for partnering with us throughout this historic journey and new chapter for San Francisco youth.
I
can sit and stare at this bay for a lifetime.
The lilt and swing of the waves licking the shoreline
the hum of the sails speeding by.
The way the fog tumbles down the hills, sweeping up
once it clashes with the valleys—filled with glistening, golden grass
I
can sit & stare & listen & taste this bay for a lifetime.
Look out across its impossible span:
listen to the backdrop of hip-hop, r&b
jazz, funk
whatever music bumps as the car-passing-by’s suspension springs.
The taste of salty fog
or sourdough.
The red taillights ebbing and flowing like the tide.
We’re suspended 200 feet above this bay,
we’re connected by these bridges.
These ties between the haven of San Francisco and the trails of Marin
The faithful of Santa Clara and the roots of Oakland.
We’re connected by these bridges
by these places
by these people:
a mosaic with tiles from every corner of the world.
I
can sit & stare & smell & feel this bay for a lifetime.
The sharp orange and white points that protrude from the clouds
the soft peaks and valleys that surround the water
the rise of the tide
of my breath
of our cities.