LITANY AGAINST FEAR

I must not fear Fear is the mind-killer I must not fear Fear is the mind-killer I must not fear Fear is the mind-killer Fear is the little death That brings total obliteration I will face my fear I will permit it to pass over me And through me And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye To see its path Where the fear has gone There will be nothing Only I will remain I must not fear Fear is the mind-killer Fear is the little death That brings total obliteration I will face my fear I will permit it to pass over me And through me And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye To see its path Where the fear has gone There will be nothing Only I will remain What's in the box? What's in the box? What's in the box? Pain Pain What's in the box? What's in the box? What's in the box? Pain Pain You've heard of animals Chewing off a leg to escape a trap? That's an animal kind of trick A human would remain in the trap Endure the pain feigning death That he might kill the trapper And remove a threat to his kind Why are you doing this? Why are you doing this? To determine if you're human Be silent It burns Silence! His world emptied of everything Except the hand Immersed in agony He thought he could feel Skin curling black On that agonized hand The flesh crisping and dropping away Until only charred bones remained What's in the box? What's in the box? What's in the box? Pain Pain What's in the box? What's in the box? What's in the box? Pain Pain It stopped As though a switch Had been turned off The pain stopped Enough! Take your hand From the box, young human And look at it Do it! He jerked his hand from the box Stared at it, astonished Not a mark No sign of agony on the flesh He held up the hand Turned it Flexed the fingers Pain She sniffed A human can override Any nerve in the body I must not fear Fear is the mind-killer I must not fear Fear is the mind-killer I must not fear Fear Is the mind-killer Fear is the little death That brings total obliteration I will face my fear I will permit it to pass over me And through me And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye To see its path Where the fear has gone There will be nothing Only I will remain