Technicolor Reborn

By Safia Albaiti 

What if drag 

is Technicolor reborn 

and they can’t see the colors this time 

they said they wanted the country back 

they said parental rights  

paid big money for that 

ban the libraries burn the books 

on how to be loooovely ^[1] 

whatever happened to Technicolor  

allegedly no one knows  

who locked up all the color 

in the museums 

nursing homes 

streets 

sweeps 

threw away the keys 

let kids be kids have 

enough rights to this coffin 

teardrop beaded 

tassel trim bang 

mesh sequined 

gloves stretching out for 

sisters appliquéd 

aisles and aisles of  

crossing you in style  

dream maker, heart breaker ^[2] 

analog economies only running 

because of queens. 

garment district main street  

Mothered back 

three-strip triptych  

oversaturated grandmas 

and no one forgot the flowers 

everyone was there. 

^[1] A line from 'On How To Be Lovely', a song in the musical Funny Face (1957) 

^[2] Lines from 'Moon River', a song originally performed for the film Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961) 

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Bio: Safia Albaiti is a poet and psychotherapist. She divides her time between Philadelphia and New York City.