Pandora’s Box

Creating a woman, Pandora her name
Sent to plague by Jupiter and torment her aim
Given gifts of beauty, given gifts of music
Vulcan fashioned an exquisite box of gold
In which were put the evils that would plague mankind
As the lid slowly closed
So the Gods ruled the day
Held by pride they could not change their minds
And so they added one more beautiful gift
To lessen the pain caused by the other
The gift they called it hope
"Give the box", the Gods said, "to the man you will wed"
Then they sent her to Earth
Welcome Pandora to the world of mankind
With your box made of gold
Pandora
Every day she touched it
Secrets locked inside
Perhaps a cloak of magic or a precious jewel
It must be a special gift from the Gods
So special that she must open it
Clouds appeared to float away, separating as they flew
All the plagues the Gods had sent could now torment as they grew
Filled with fear the lid was closed
Only hope remained inside
Then she sat to wait for man to return who asked her
If she'd looked inside the box of pure gold
"Yes," she said, but all that she saw was a small piece of hope
Man said he would keep it there
Unaware that she had seen let in mankind's world
Evil that the Gods had given now roamed free
Left behind for all mankind was a tiny piece of hope