The Dangers of Ambition
a Prometheus Retelling
The two brothers stood side by side
Not quite man and not quite God, their lives had been a wild ride
When she noticed the twinkle of wisdom in his new-born eyes, “Prometheus” called out his mother
And, “Epimetheus” she had named the foolish other
Prometheus looked down at the poor, thoughtless humankind
And of his brother they did remind
One sat on a rock with his head hung low in sorrow
And all Prometheus could see was the rigid, broken path toward tomorrow
The sight punctured his heart, and a pool of pity he did feel
I can pave them a fresh route, he thought, I can make their dreams and desires real
Prometheus showed them how to light a fire on the ground
The melting heat and sparking light, with which the humans though to be profound
The men took sticks and bricks, and they built homes to live in, instead of caves
In the future, Prometheus could see that they would learn to conquer the chaos of the ocean’s waves
They wore ear-to-ear smiles while basking in the golden rays of the sun
From the predators of the earth did they no longer need to run
But it soon became so, that the anger of tyrannical gods above would grow
Zeus, with his booming thunder and vengeful spirit, was a dangerous foe
He sat above in his mighty throne of gold
And the joy of the humans he could not help but scold
They cannot beat me, he raged in spite
Prometheus may be full of wisdom, but I am always right
The all-mighty god had a plan
To unleash the evils of the world, and wreck the hopes and dreams of man
His soul was wrapped in thick, green vines of greed
A sickly poison and a tedious weed
And so, he created Pandora, a curious woman who held a box of treasures in her hand
A gift to Epimetheus, whom he sent to live on the human’s land
Despite the cry of Prometheus, who continued to plead
To the gift from Zeus, Epimetheus agreed
Pandora’s soul was a heavenly golden hue
But to the wreckage she’d bring, the world didn’t have a clue
She peered at the intricate carvings lining the chest
And she couldn’t put her pounding heart to rest
With a heavy breath, she glanced inside
And out flew the wicked creatures of earth, more deadly than the rapid tide
Their malice encased the humans, and poked into their heart, like the bare branches of a bush
And the joy disappeared, drifting from the world with a woosh
by Julieanna Jalbert
