east Oakland is dilapidated “Angel Grove City.” all our power- rangers became crack heads or died. or moved to a city with less sunlight and more problems or more problems and fewer professionals or a tent with a softer landing and the most Zords. Rita Repulsa struck down more than she laughed and that’s only because the birth of monsters is a tireless thankless job. all of Zordon’s kids are still waiting for their smoke break which won’t actually happen until their first year of college, the year they make it back just in time to take another another smoke break before the next semester starts and the local community job fair beacons a hush over everyone’s “it’s morphin time!” jokes. that kid shaking under his thermal blasting heavy metal, hoping he makes it home alive before his chicken sandwich gets cold, just wants to continue his saturday morning routine. Kimberly is already pregnant. Tommy is asleep.
Joshua Merchant is a Black Queer native of East Oakland exploring what it means to be human as an intersectional being.