What Am I To Gain? Poem by Alex Jolly

What am I to gain,
should I live only for myself?

If I were a tree
Whose branches grow sweet fruits,
Yet I hold my bounty from those who need it,
The hungry are left teased,
And I have gained nothing.

If I were a floating cloud
Filled with rain and close to bursting,
Yet I keep my showers from the farmer’s field,
The dry land is left starving,
And I have gained nothing.

If I were a cool wind
Free to roam the Earth,
Yet I stayed far from the worker’s brow,
The sweat still cakes the laborer,
And I have gained nothing.

If I were the feathered wings
Of a magnificent bird in the sky,
Yet I refuse to aid in flight,
The great bird is made to crash,
And I have gained nothing.

What good is a life that lives only for itself?
Counting all I’ve gained,
such a life amounts to nothing.