She Plays With Sticks

She picks up a stick but it’s way too long.
Her dad breaks it in half and handing it to her hoping he’s not done wrong.
In her little hands it’s a real good fit she giggles with a smirk.
Dad points to the truck and says, “let’s move, I’ve got to get to work.”
Camille waves in it front of the truck door and her sister disappears mysteriously.
“Now bring her back,” Dad commands sternly.
“She’s your sister, not a cat or a spider.” He sighs, rolling his eyes.
Camille smiles knowingly even though she’s only six.
Since dad’s a muggle and these doings, this not science, he has a struggle.
Mom is inside missing the show.
She’d know what to do ending this show at the count of four or five or six.
So again with a laugh the stick she waves
and upon the pavement Carmen is splayed.
Into the truck Camille jumps now with Carmen in her seat belted.
Dad, confused, thinks it’s funny, knows not what to do and wants to yell.
But instead controls a laugh and tells:
“I mean it’s not nice upon your sister to cast a spell.”
She considers this while whispering her chant:
“Enie, meanie, moe. I’m no dope, so turn my sister into a toad.”
“Turn her back!” Dad yells only the louder.
Of course she does asking, “but may I do it later?”
She may be young. She may be small. She’s got power beyond them all.
She hums a tune:
“A stick is a stick, is a stick, is a stick, is a stick, except when it isn’t. HA.”
Poof!
“CAMILLE!”

Rico Salvatore (BA, CAS, DOM) is a man of mystery… He began writing short stories and poems about 18 years ago after his exile from the Train Wreck Cluster 811 million parsecs from Earth for blaspheming the local political gods.

To assuage his home sickness, he has self-published 4 children’s books including one self-illustrated book of poems.

Rico was the art editor of Quantum Muse and has been published in Aphelion-webzine.com, Orion’s Arm.com, ShortHumour.org.uk, Poetry Hall a Chinese & English Bilingual Journal and has few stories in the anthologies: “A Flash of Aphelion,” “Fantastical Savannahs And Jungles”, “XENOBIOLOGY”, “BLEAKEST TOWERS” and soon to be released anthology “OF POETS, SPIES, AND THE UNEARTHLINESS IN THE TIME OF SHAKESPERE AND MARLOW” coming out in January 2023 where he has a poem written in an early/mid English style. He’s assisted with the translation of some poetry for a Chinese poet.

While on the planet he studied at The Art Students League in NYC and later picked up a degree in History with an advanced certification in Asian Studies from Rutgers University. Postgraduate studies concentrated in Chinese maritime history.

He with his 2 partners started and owned one of the first nationally based resume database companies specializing in high tech, computer security and various advanced systems of specialized and classified nature.

Rico may be contacted at ricoglg1033@gmail.com

Find more by Rico Salvatore in the Author Index.