Illustration © Paul Campbell 2006
The Greatest Show on Earth
by Paul Campbell © 2005-6
First Published on the Writer's Tavern
Attention up front!
Please come in.
There's a lot to see
and the show's about to begin.
Thin or fat,
short or tall,
rich or poor,
come one come all!
Ladies and gentlemen
please take your seat.
Prepare yourself
for a special treat!
No elephants or clowns;
not in this tent.
We plan to take you straight
to the main event!
Now feast your eyes
on the center ring.
There you'll see
a horrible thing!
Cruel and evil,
wicked and mean,
the worst of the worst
you've ever seen!
Behold the monster!
You know what he can do!
Don't get to close
or he might get you too!
The time has come
for the final bell!
Let's fry this beast
and send his soul to hell!
Cry not for the monster,
For he's been evil since birth!
Ladies and gentlemen,
WE GIVE YOU THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH!
After this being said the room fell silent. One prison guard looked at the other and then they both looked around the room for a few seconds.
“Who the hell does he think he's talking too? There are only you, me, the priest and a witness from the state here.”
“I don't know. But you have to admit, he's sure going out with some flair. I've been working this job now for over twenty years and have never heard final words like that before.”
“Well, let's get this over with. The sooner we fry him the sooner we get to go home. I'm taking the family away for the weekend and have a ton of things to do.”
The guard reached up and pulled the hammer down frying the serial killer that was named by the media as “The Ring Master”.