Guardians Of Atlanta 40
(Introducing The Great Phantasma)

Just as James was giving his speech
The speakers fed-back with a terrible screech.
Following that, came an announcer’s cry.
The side-show caller type, puffed up, and spry.

“Come one, come all!” came the voice in a blast.
“The Great Phantasma has arrived at last!
But please, hold your applause ’til the performance has ended!
I
do believe you’ll find it perfectly splendid.”

Uncle Andy: “Who are you? Where are you?” James Rigger barked,

Voice: “I’m here, and there, and everywhere to start.”

Then the shadow Cyrus saw before appeared.
The crowd was confused, but some of them cheered.
The shadow materialized and changed its shape
to a man who was wearing a dapper suit and a cape.
His top hat was purple, and his wand was swift,
and as he swung it around, Uncle Andy had a fit.

Uncle Andy: “This is my power!-”

Voice: “Your carnival! Yes, I know.
But I think that you’ll find that I’ve hijacked this show.”

Just then, Uncle Andy dropped Jemima and swung
right at the shadow-figure, Cyrus thought he was done!
But right as James did, the figure disappeared.
Then Jemima kicked James low, and James’ anger seared.
The figure reappeared, but this time, there was more.
Multiple versions of the figure surrounded James in scores.
Twenty or more figures laughed gleefully at him.

Uncle Andy: “That’s it!” James cried.
“I’ll cut you limb from limb!”

James began swinging with terrible force, but the figures began to disappear.
Cyrus tried to keep the crowd calm, but they were all completely gripped by fear.
Then suddenly the shadow winked his eye, in Cyrus’s general direction.
Then Cyrus saw her angel, Ezekiel, in that eye’s reflection.
Ezekiel’s appearance meant only one thing, as her powers began to tug.
The sky opened wide, the rain poured down, and soon, it became a flash flood.
Hail rained down on James Rigger, as Cyrus squeezed the ice from the clouds.
The lightning raged, the thunder roared, and screaming echoed from the crowd.
The clown guards seemed terrified by the weather, but more than the rainfall,
light shined right through the streams of water, creating illusions, great and small.
The shadow seemed to bend the light from every angle known,
and for a couple of minutes, everyone felt like they were in the twilight zone.

Hi I’m Joshua, and I’m resurrecting Epic Poetry for modern nerds like you! If you’d like to support what I’m doing, you can buy The Great Phantasma in Book, eBook, Audiobook, and other formats here! (Coming Soon!)

If you’re strapped for cash, you can still help out by sharing this tale with your friends in-person, text, or on social media!

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