Had I not This, or This, I said, 1
Appealing to Myself,
In moment of prosperity－
Inadequate－were Life－
"Thou hast not Me, nor Me"－it said, 5
In Moment of Reverse－
"And yet Thou art industrious－
No need－hadst Thou－of us"?
My need－was all I had－I said－9
The need did not reduce－
Because the food－exterminate－
The hunger－does not cease－
But diligence－is sharper－13
Proportioned to the Chance－
To feed upon the Retrograde－
Enfeebles－the Advance－
Appealing to Myself,
In moment of prosperity－
Inadequate－were Life－
"Thou hast not Me, nor Me"－it said, 5
In Moment of Reverse－
"And yet Thou art industrious－
No need－hadst Thou－of us"?
My need－was all I had－I said－9
The need did not reduce－
Because the food－exterminate－
The hunger－does not cease－
But diligence－is sharper－13
Proportioned to the Chance－
To feed upon the Retrograde－
Enfeebles－the Advance－
(F.828/J.904)
[1] This, or This:: things needed to have an adequate life.
[5] it:: inflation. not Me, nor Me:: missing the "This, or This" in line one.
[6] moment of Reverse:: the moment of improsperity.
[8] us:: things needed.
[13] diligence, sharper:: work harder, but gain less.
[15, 16] Retrograde, Engeebles, Advance:: inflation retrogrades living standard.
The present inflation, following the suspension of 1865, is the result of heavy expenditures by the government in the prosecution of the war and the introduction of a new measure of value in the form of United States and treasury notes as lawful money. ─ Annual report of the Secretary of the Treasury (1865)