They say she came out screaming, tiny fists all balled up tight. Her mother swore she’d not seen a child before so ready for a fight, But she was wan and she was sickly, sorry, blighted to behold. Refused the breast, cried til her chest ached, simply could not be consoled And when she wasn’t busy crying, she would stare wide-eyed and mute, While her mind and heart grew bigger than her small frame could follow suit. HER Dad got itchy feet; this kid was such a chore to grow , BUT Before he hit the road, he looked at her and said “Girl, before I go: “Know you’ve gotta get big. You’ve gotta get SO BIG. You’ve gotta get SO BIG, SO TALL. Cause if you take the time to get real big as you go through life, you won’t be Afraid of anything at all.”

From poorly babe to homely child to stubborn, sullen lass, She grew up picking fights and telling lies as bold as brass. She was scrappy; she was mean; she took the boys all by surprise Cause you’d not say she was a looker til you looked deep in her eyes. Soon, her ragged mother died although she’d hemmed and hawed. Said “I’ve reached the end of my road. go on and find your pa. --- “I’M NOT SURE where you’ll find him, but my first guess would be a bar. And those spindly legs won’t get you very far. You’re gonna have to get big. You gotta get SO BIG - Project yourself like shadows on the wall. And if you take the time and do the things that I describe, you won’t be Afraid of anything at all.”

She had some ground to cover and some tracks to make alone, And every place she showed his picture they’d say, “You just missed him, child, he’s gone.” By horse and rail she tailed him, bitterness fueling her Stride, Anger making muscles pump even as rejection stung her pride. She swore he’d see the girl who’d worn a path through miles tread And the shock would leave him speechless and slack-jawed. But the trail went cold in Abilene in a shadowed, stony place: “Sacred to the memory” carved on his marble face. And it was time to get big. You gotta get SO BIG: Expand yourself like Rome before the fall. And if you take the time AND do the things that I describe, you won’t be Afraid of anything at all.

She wasn’t going to quit now; all she could think to do Was sew a zeppelin out of tarps and hire herself a crew. A dozen mystics chanted over plutonium and tin, And they flew straight up to Heaven’s gates, hollered up “Hey, let us in!” St. Peter sighed and rolled his eyes, glared at them one by one: “Can’t let just anybody pass. This place would soon be overrun. And I wouldn’t let you meatsacks in even if that wereN’T the case. Besides, your dad’s not here. He’s in the Other Place.” And it was time to get big. You’ve gotta get SO BIG. Move heaven and the earth with every footfall. CAUSE if you take the time AND do the things that I describe, you won’t be Afraid of anything at all.

Now cussing all the way, she dragged a boat up to the shore Of the muddy river Styx, where she GREW scared then mad once more. The gnarled ferry man croaked a protest from his cage - But he let her pass, cause he saw the gas that lit up all her rage. And on the other side, Cerberus tried to delay. But she kicked, and kicked, and kicked again, THEN continued on her way.Then Satan loomed before her, straddling stones on mighty hocks, But she JUST shrugged and walked beneath him then found the gates unlocked. It took a while to find her pa, though she asked for him by name, Cause everyone was pushing boulders and everyone kinda looked the same. BUT She finally locked eyes with the man whose eyes looked just like hers, Sprinted up, jabbed a finger at the poor, bedraggled cur.

She said “Why’d you leave? Why’d you go? Why’d you bail when things got tough? I could have stopped you if I’d tried, but I just wasn’t big enough.”

His mouth twitched at the corner aT the scowl that split up her face. HE Said, “The Very Fact you stand before me here makes you bigger than this place. And what is that if not big?” And it was true; she WAS MASSIVE! Bigger than Hell’s corridors and halls . Cause if you focus right and keep your eyes fixed on the fight you won’t be Afraid of anything at all... Yes, if you’ve got a fire, you can walk blindly through the mire. You won’t be afraid of anything at all.