All That Glitters: Golden Gate Theatre, 1952

All That Glitters is an homage to the dreamers and schemers that make the Bay Area unique. San Francisco artist Kaytea Petro uses a homemade hibiscus ink to illustrate historic photos, lovingly depicting a bygone era. More of her work can be seen at kayteapetro.com or on her Instagram.

All the the writings were created by students at Ruth Asawa School of the Arts. Many of the source photos used to create the drawings come from the San Francisco Public Library’s Photo Collection.

Golden Gate Theatre, 1952

Unidentified

By Rowan Penn and Cora Shimetz

Unidentified run and hide
your face away
in the cold chill of the theater.
Unidentified disguise your pride
behind the stage
bury your sorrows in the
velvet seat.
Unidentified confide in the usher
this is your first performance after all
of what you thought
would be many.
Unidentified set your worries aside
the future is inevitable.
Unidentified cheers come from the crowd
as act one comes to an end
Intermission.
Unidentified guide
your feet upstairs
to the lavatory.
Unidentified watch as you collide
with a passerby
and get sent sprawling.
Unidentified remain outside
the windowsill
clinging with your fingertips.
Unidentified notice the diagonal windows
trailing down to the people below.
Unidentified flashes
creep up next to your sight.
Unidentified is how you’re remembered
trapped in a photograph
Unidentified life is a joyride
and yours is reaching its end.
Unidentified you survived the fall
but the landing
is much less forgiving.

About the poets: Rowan Penn and Cora Shimetz are students at Ruth Asawa School of the Arts.