The+Act

The magician walks onto the stage and gives a bow The audience is silent, jaded and bored The Magnificent Moat doesn't notice, distractions he won't allow His routine is notorious, he has no doubt they'll be floored
 * The Act**

The piano begins playing, the crown is not enthusiastic The magician warms up with some feats of skill He swallows swords, his body contorts as if he's elastic Yet despite his ability, the audience bears him no good will

He moves onto illusions, the conjurer's art The thing that draws fame to the Magnificent Moat Transformations and escapes being close to his art With practiced care, the magician removes his coat

The crowd does not make a sound They remain unmoved by what they've seen Not the first audience he's found difficult to astound It was time to pull out a trick that was incredibly mean

With the same nonchalance, Moat takes off his hat As well as his mustard yellow gloves, dropped at his feet His face is serious, he means to enchant Yet his eyes twinkled, anticipating the cheat

He removes from his pocket a vial of fluid And calmly asks for a light As he uncorks the flask and upends the liquid As a lighter strikes the stage, a disinterested slight

Ignoring the audience's ill manners, he picks up the lighter And with a cool smile, sets himself on fire The crowd suddenly gives attention, as the stage gets much brighter Their eyes drawn to the Magnificent Moat's funeral pyre

The crowd watches silently, stunned beyond words As the burning figure falls to its knees before the spectating herds and the flames slowly begin to cease

The show is over, the crowd gapes in awe at the charred ashes on the stage floor None wanting to believe in what they just saw When a man steps in through a side door

The janitor strolls on stage, broom and bin in hand and quietly sweeps up what appears to have once been a man The audience doesn't get it, they think this is sick Not until the front gives the janitor's face a scan

Surprise moves through the crowd like a fire And despite themselves they applaud and take note Of the man who against their will made them perspire The Brilliant, the Twisted, The Magnificent Moat