We Stole a TV Once

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Kache’ Attyana Mumford

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On Black Friday,
Mama told me and my sister we were going to the blue store.
For those who don’t know,
if you grew up with a single teenage mother in the north part of Florida,
The blue store is Walmart.
The red store is Target.
The red store is for people with two parents,
a house with a backyard,
maybe even a horse or two.
They go horseback riding on weekends,
and in summer, they visit Disney World,
where candy is made of gold,
and the red-caped heroes dance with God in the sky.
The red store holds angels,
and the floor shines from their wings
as they answer every dream.
We go to the blue store.
On Black Friday, Mama said we would go to the one on the other side of town,
packing blankets in the car,
our skin blending with the dark
until my six-year-old soul is invisible,
even to those I know.
I dream of stars,
while the car sputters and fights with us
before it finally chooses to start.
My eyes hunt for lights,
shining bright as my body begs for sleep.
But then my senses snap awake to the screams of a crowd
painted in blue,
rushing with silver buggies,
filled with enough food to feed the lunchbox
of one of the girls at my school,
whose flesh bleeds red.
Mama’s voice cuts through the chaos,
calling for my sister to open the truck,
unloading something that fades into the dark like me.

My eyes follow the sound of her feet,
and stop only when her small frame
hops into the front seat,
catching me with her gaze.
On Black Friday,
at the blue store,
Mama looked at me in a way that made me say sorry,
while tears filled her eyes,
and she huffed an apology
that drenched me in worry.
Still,
she’ll always be an angel to me.

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Kache’ Attyana Mumford is a Black, neurodiverse poet from Jacksonville, FL. As a writer, therapist, and actor, she has dedicated her life to creating spaces where others feel empowered to share their stories. Through her poetry and work, she strives to uplift marginalized voices, bringing attention to the intersection of identity, mental health, and lived experience.

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