Member-only story
: LITERARY ESSAY / BLACK AUTO-THEORY
Kitchen Kept
What a hummingbird taught me about shelter kitchens, Form D-12B, and why I signed my name at the top
Please like, share & subscribe.
Content warning: This story discusses systemic racism, institutional violence, poverty, surveillance, and references to generational trauma. Includes descriptions of bodily harm and state control.
Case #98121-WL-0 of 347: NON-COMPLIANT. Flagged.
I stepped up because there was no place else to stand.
I said no once.
The waitlist cut into her collarbone. Case number pressed where skin stays soft. The body kept the mark while the mind said no.
I will not help it.
The hummingbird gets here first. Not wings. Heat. 108 degrees at my shoulder before I name it. She can’t cool down. Her body won’t let her. In the shelter kitchen, that heat is sharp and clear.
The alien is already watching. 06:03:17. Red light, no breath. It sees heat and writes agitation. It sees stillness and writes non-compliant. It cannot read a body at 108 degrees. It was not made for that kind of light.
