"Hope: What and Why?"

When all hope is gone, just open your mind
You'll soon realize that it never left
You kept it all the while, just waiting
Wait, wait, wait... That's all you do
But what is hope? Why is hope?
Some would call it optimism
Others may say ignorance
I, on the other hand, must disagree
Hope is somewhat of a longing feeling
When you've been consumed by one thing
When you can't imagine being without it
When it keeps you up late at night
When you spend every waking moment wanting it to remain
Whether "it" be a place of happiness
Whether "it" be a thing or animal
Or whether "it," especially, be another person
Hope is the longing to keep it close
Why do we hope?
It gives us some sense of control
Because, as we're told, if we can imagine it, we can do it
As long as we think we can do it, we are complacent
Without hope, we may turn to despair
Without hope, we may turn to vice
People need hope. Without it, there is nothing
And nothing makes us empty
So as long as you can hope
As long as you can keep it alive
You will be able to keep the nothingness away
You will not be empty inside, though you may fell that way
As long as hope remains, a path to happiness remains, as well.