Pandora’s Box - By Melissa Toh

Written By: Melissa Toh

Category: Poetry

Competition: Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026

Melissa Toh brings us "Pandora’s Box," a poignant piece of poetry showcased in the esteemed Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026. In this evocative work, Melissa dives deep into themes of internal struggle and the complexity of human emotions. Her submission in the poetry category offers readers a glimpse into the tumultuous world of mind and soul, vividly encapsulating the essence of resilience amidst adversity.

About the Work

"Pandora’s Box" is a compelling exploration of emotional turmoil, depicted through striking imagery and raw emotion. The poem weaves a narrative of struggle and introspection, using metaphors of aged wine and a haunting box to illustrate the tumult within. The mood is somber yet reflective, inviting readers to ponder the depths of personal grief and the resilience needed to confront it.

Pandora’s Box

Original Submission by Melissa Toh

Pandora’s Box

sunday has you falling off the calendar and back into month-old sheets. you count your thoughts like the years on aged wine. preserve them in the crook between your ribs and your lungs. they bite, don’t they? bad dogs that nip at your own shadow.

you say that the strain has come to a head but you are en route to your eighth shot of whiskey. your grief gone stale with the black mold creeping into the mattress. rancid thoughts bash at your skull and they spill. gouged and gushing, on the floor. oh, poor girl, eternal parasitic nauseousness. you crack open the box. the fanged-formed liquor venom sloshes in your rusted cavity. it burns the way down and warms your weary ebony, groomed for tragedy and death. you smile.

you’re hollow now, pandora. dirt-grease patchwork quilt special for your horrid hearse. quench your thirst with drool. lay down your grievances. plead for the skeleton key. you will tug at your noose but not the curtain. i hold your hand, tracing the shape of the elephant in the room. i will not stare long. i am sorry.

you will crack open the box again. the smooth grain-to-glass feels like red-hot gravel. neat, fire on the rocks. your lips loosen and the stitches tear free, flogging red gashes into your chapped lips. the inertia sinks you further into the dipped mattress, sinks you to drown- you're triptan dazed. dopey from joyful, onset death.

don’t look - reality wrapped around the haphazard pleas bolting your room shut. simultaneous dead or alive, the box pulses and screams. you greet it gleefully; screaming back.

About the Competition

The Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026, hosted by Hashtag Kalakar, celebrates the art of poetry and prose. It provides a platform for writers worldwide to express their creativity, exploring diverse themes and styles. This prestigious event encourages literary expression and the sharing of unique voices across the globe.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to Melissa Toh for her moving contribution, "Pandora’s Box," to the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026. Her work offers profound insights into the human condition, and we appreciate the depth of emotion and creativity she brings to the competition.

About Hashtag Kalakar

Hashtag Kalakar is a creative platform dedicated to providing artists, writers, singers and other creative talents with opportunities to showcase their work and reach wider audiences through competitions, features and creative initiatives.