Prometheus and Pandora

Prometheus warned his brother
When leaving on a quest,
"Watch out for the gods!
They won't let me rest!

"Epimetheus, unfortunately,
I've raised the gods' ire.
They are all truly peeved
Because I gave mankind fire.

"I know that Zeus
Will be searching for me.
I'm tired and I'm scared,
So I'm going to flee."

Epimetheus watched his
Brother leave that day.
He vowed that no god
Would stand in his way.

He'd accept nothing from them.
Not a single thing at all!
No gift from the gods
Would cause him to fall.

All of that changed
When Hermes came by
With a girl on his arm
And a gleam in his eye.

"I hear, dear old Epi,
That lonely you've been.
The gods have sent Pandora
To make days seem less dim."

Epimetheus saw Pandora
And he melted like butter.
Her beautiful smile
Made his heart go aflutter.

She had made a wreath of rosebuds
To wear in her hair.
Epimetheus had never seen
One quite so fair.

Epimetheus and Pandora
Lived their days full of light.
The world was still new
And the future looked bright.

You see, my dear one,
They had all they would need.
The world did not know yet
Of sorrow or greed.

There was plenty of food,
The people sang songs.
They knew nothing of war,
Or sickness, or wrongs.

But the devious Zeus
Had a plan up his sleeve.
He had thought of a way
To cause men to grieve.

The next thing that was sent
To the house was a box.
It said, "Do not open!"
Though the box had no locks.

Epimetheus obediently put
It under his bed,
He warned his Pandora
While one morning they fed.

"You must, my dear one,
From that box stay away!
The gods have warned me
That I'll rue the day

"The box ever opens---
I won't cause their ire
The way Prometheus did
When he gave mankind fire."

Unfortunately, Epimetheus
Then left her alone.
She had nothing to do
But to sit there and moan.

For the gods knew Pandora
And they knew that she
Was blessed with an
Abundance of curiosity.

Out from under the bed
The box swiftly was slid.
She hesitated shortly
Then lifted the lid.

She let out a cry
Full of horror and terror.
She knew fully well
She had made a great error.

Out of the box
Came Heartbreak and Greed,
Hunger and Illness,
Pain, Sorrow, and Need.

Pandora screamed as she
Slammed down the lid.
She cried when she thought of
The thing that she did.

For into the world
She released Troubles that kill.
And all of these Troubles
Are now with us still.

But she heard a small voice
Come up out of the box,
"Let me out! Let me out!
Is your head filled with rocks?"

Pandora did not know
What she should do.
Her troubles were many.
Her choices were few.

She shrugged her fair shoulders
As she heard the small knocks.
"How much worse can it get?"
And she reopened the box.

This time out of the box
Came a beautiful fairy.
(But she was a good one
So you need not be wary.)

The fairy said, "Worry not,
I will help you to cope
With all of the Troubles.
I am called Hope."

And Hope helped to soothe
Pandora's heartbreak and fears.
She has stayed to help others
For all of these years.

Hope will help you
Get over the slumps,
When you are sick or heartbroken
Or down in the dumps.

Don't curse dear Pandora.
Let her memory be.
She did us a favor
By setting Hope free.