Power Ranger Redux

The Red Ranger
Does speaking engagements

Colleges, community centers
Every once in awhile
A Universalist church

He talks about violence
And its impact
On society

Specifically large monsters
Destroying cities

He always takes a moment of silence
For those who died
In the monster attacks

Thousands upon thousands of people
Until finally, people got smart
And fled Angel Grove

Then it was just a matter of empty buildings
Being destroyed
And then built up again
And then destroyed

The Red Ranger thinks of it
As a sort of metaphor for life

We are torn down
We are built up again
We fight

Every day
We fight

People ask him questions
About the Pink Ranger's descent
Into drugs and alcohol

And he avoids commenting
But does say that he prayers for her everyday
Which is not true
But, which is, a very nice thing to say

The Red Ranger did feel sorry for the Pink Ranger
But he didn't believe in prayer

Not when he'd seen the stars

Not when he'd flown through them
To other galaxies
To fight creatures that resembled
Evil Jim Henson knockoff puppets

He was glad that part of his life was over now
Even though currently all he did
Was talk about that part of his life

The Pink Ranger couldn't handle it
She couldn't handle being unimportant

Sometimes our blood gets used to war
And so peace feels like a disease

And we fight it with things
That seem like war

Drugs, sex, self-mutilation
Anything that reminds us
Of destruction

The Red Ranger touches his belt
And remembers those words--

'It's morphin' time!'

That was always his favorite part

Shouting out those words
And becoming someone powerful

Someone who people counted on
Someone people were glad to see

Now it was someone else's job
And that was difficult to accept

In his mind, he imagines that old Tyrannosaurus somewhere...

Hidden somewhere deep
Within a mountain

Wondering where he's gone

Wondering when he'll be calling again

Saying--

'Hey Old Friend,
Let's save the world'