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Once upon a time,

I heard a legend.

A tale of a girl named Pandora,

That curiosity got the better of.

She was warned, they said,

She was told,

She knew she shouldn't,

But she had to open the box.

And then, so the story goes,

And then, out came the evils of the world.

Fear,

Hunger,

Poverty,

Sadness,

Disease.

All monsters to prey on humans.

The legend, continues, goes on, explains

How they were scattered to the winds,

Free to wreak havoc,

Free to destroy.

They fled the prison.

Because of Pandora.

But one remained, they say,

One stayed loyal.

One refused to abandon mankind,

Refused to leave the box.

And that was hope.

The children and the adults would listen,

And smile.

Hope. Hope stayed.

Hope didn't flee the box.

But now,

Now I look,

And I see evil,

Fear,

Hunger,

Poverty,

Sadness,

Disease,

And all the other monsters roaming the planet.

Yes, yes,

I see them.

Pandora let them out.

She let them out and they plague us,

Yes, yes, I do understand.

But people are killing other people,

And children are dying,

And sickness is spreading,

And the Earth is warming,

And ice is melting,

And everyone said 'it's bad',

And now everyone says 'it's worse',

And I wonder.

I wonder if hope

Really is still inside

Of Pandora's box. 

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